Juniper
by Agent Spielplatz
Summary: A conspiracy within Konoha leads to a near fatal encounter for Naruto on the night of the Genin Exams. As he copes, his team struggles to work together and live up to the Hokage’s expectations.
1. Conspiracy

AN: Somebody shoot me please. I have so much crap waiting for my attention; homework to do, two other active stories to write, sleep to catch up on, Al Pacino movies to watch…and what am I doing? Writing another story.

Yeah, I'm definitely doubting my sanity. Not exactly bad for you guys though, at least it isn't if you enjoy these fics. Whatever, I'm gonna stop talking now. Enjoy!

This fic starts all the way back at the beginning of Naruto. This chapter coincides a bit with the first chapter; you'll recognize the stuff that's the same. However, I will be using some small references that may spoil information we learn through the manga's current status, and more as it moves along. These spoilers aren't much, really just info about a few people and a few words we learn later on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Conspiracy**

In the shadows cast by the full moon two adults crept under the cover of the looming fortress walls of the city hidden in the leaves. Inside the walls, many of the citizens of the shinobi village of Konoha were settling down for the night. A number of families were happily celebrating the graduation of their children from the Ninja Academy and into the rank of Genin. The one child that hadn't passed was no longer within the village walls. "Is it done?" a woman's voice asked.

"A complete success. We can head out after him in a few minutes. Right now the Hokage has shinobi looking for him, but no one will be able to find him before us," a male boasted.

"Then perhaps you should hurry before the Hokage sends actual trackers after the boy," another woman interrupted from the shadows behind them.

"What are you doing here?" the man asked.

"Making sure the two of you don't mess this up. Remember the jinchuuriki needs to be eliminated; after that the Scroll of Sealing should be taken directly to the meeting point," the second woman informed them.

"We know; we'll take care of it. This plan can't go wrong," the first woman assured.

"Then get going," the second woman ordered.

In the shadows cast by the full moon two people scowled before taking off after their target.

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

Iruka arrived at the clearing to find an exhausted, battered, yet surprisingly enthusiastic Naruto. The boy showed no fear or guilt after having attacked the Hokage and stolen the forbidden scroll. The fact that, as an Academy student, Naruto believed he had been able to master one of the techniques housed within that scroll was even more amazing – and a bit frightening.

"Oh this? Mizuki-sensei told me about it. And this place too," Naruto enlightened him before once again stating his intention to graduate using the new skill he had learned. The moment Naruto had mentioned the other sensei, Iruka had stopped paying attention to the boy. He jumped back to attention just in time to shove his student out of the way of the oncoming projectiles.

Iruka felt himself thrown back against the small shack in the clearing, but he ignored the pain and instead turned to pinpointing the location of the attacker. Mizuki was sitting smugly in a tree at the edge of the clearing. "Hmmm…I didn't expect anyone to get to him before I did," Mizuki stated, looking appraisingly between the sensei and his student. "This will cause a small hitch in my plans. I was just going to kill Naruto and send the scroll off; nobody would have missed the brat anyways. Now it looks like I'll have to kill both of you; it'll be difficult for me to get out of this without catching any suspicion," he pondered aloud.

Naruto was staring at Mizuki with horror. Iruka could see the understanding and belief flash through his eyes as he considered Mizuki's words. "Naruto, whatever you do, do not give up that scroll," Iruka ordered his student.

"Why should he listen to you?" Mizuki asked, looking over at Naruto. "Let me let you in on a secret brat," he began, "Iruka hates you as much as the rest of the village. Would you like to know why?"

Naruto's terrified face faltered slightly betraying his curiosity. "Don't!" Iruka shouted at Mizuki. When Mizuki smirked at Naruto, Iruka shouted, "Get out of here Naruto!"

Naruto didn't listen to him; instead, Iruka could tell that the boy's attention was fixed firmly on Mizuki and the answers that he had always wanted. "The reason they all hate you…twelve years ago when the Kyuubi was sealed…it was sealed in you. You're the one that caused all the pain and suffering in this village. Iruka's parents and so many others…you killed all of them. You're the Kyuubi," Mizuki stated.

Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion as he tried to decipher what Mizuki had told him. As he fit all the pieces together his entire demeanor darkened, causing Mizuki to smirk in pleasure. Iruka's mind flashed back to the meeting with the Hokage earlier that afternoon. Naruto didn't deserve this; he didn't deserve to lose every ounce of faith he had managed to build inside the village.

Iruka reacted as quickly as he could when he saw Mizuki ready one of his larger shuriken. He managed to shield Naruto, but not without the shuriken becoming lodged in his back. "Get out of here," he grunted through the pain. Naruto looked up at him with wide, uncertain eyes before his face once again hardened. This time, Naruto nodded and grabbed the scroll before heading out of the clearing.

Iruka stood up a bit shakily and lunged at Mizuki. If he could hold the other Chuunin off, then Naruto stood a chance of making it back to the village relatively unharmed. Unfortunately, Mizuki simply smirked and dodged Iruka's sluggish attack. "You're slow, and if you honestly think he'll get away then you need to re-evaluate the situation," Mizuki claimed.

Iruka's eyes widened, but he didn't slow his attempted attacks. He pulled out several kunai and launched them at the other sensei. Mizuki easily deflected and dodged the first wave, but he wasn't paying enough attention. The second group of kunai that Iruka sent at him had more success.

Mizuki grunted and hunched over slightly trying to remove the two kunai that was imbedded in his calf. He yanked one of them out and launched it furiously back at Iruka. Iruka dodged the hastily thrown retaliation and prepared to attack again when Naruto landed back in the middle of the clearing.

Iruka looked at the boy in confusion. "What are you doing?" he hissed to the younger boy. Naruto stared at the edge of the clearing; he clutched the scroll a bit tighter but showed no signs that he had heard Iruka.

The Chuunin realized why when, a moment later, Mizuki's smirk widened and young woman walked into the clearing. "I'm surprised it took you so long, Kimiko," Mizuki stated.

"The kid's not bad when he's panicking," the young woman responded.

"Whatever, let's finish this and get out of here," Mizuki snorted, looking at Naruto with disdain. "Our plans have already been botched enough," he added.

"Right," Kimiko responded, gazing between Iruka and Naruto.

"Give me the scroll Naruto," Iruka ordered, holding out his hand towards Naruto.

Naruto snapped his attention onto his teacher, but it took his mind a moment to catch up to the situation. When it did, Naruto quickly scrambled to his feet and handed Iruka the scroll.

Before Iruka realized what his student was doing, Naruto had placed his hands together and shouted, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." His eyes widened when he saw nearly twenty copies of his student appear, surrounding the two of them. Iruka bent down so that he was more securely hidden amongst the clones. When he was out of sight, it took just a quick flick of his wrists and instead of Iruka, another Naruto was crouching on the ground. The scroll was no where to be seen.

"Screw this," Kimiko cursed. "We need to just get rid of all of them. Find the scroll first and make sure it isn't damaged," she ordered.

Mizuki nodded and launched an oversized shuriken into the congregation of blonds. One of the clones disappeared, but the rest jumped into action. Kimiko cursed a second time, as five clones lunged at her, each armed with multiple kunai and shuriken. "Raikou Funsai no Jutsu," she shouted, holding her hands in front of her with both palms facing out.

An arc of lightning shot from her palms, decimating the five clones in front of her as well as four more behind them. She couldn't risk using that jutsu as the numbers dwindled for fear of destroying the forbidden scroll. While Mizuki was engaged in physical combat with three more clones, she gazed at the remaining nine Naruto's trying to distinguish the clones from the others. Unless Iruka had managed to escape, then one of the blond brats had to be the sensei. It was most likely that that clone was the one hiding the scroll; she just wasn't quite sure what he had done with it.

Her thoughts were interrupted when three of the waiting Naruto's lunged at her, weapons drawn. She immediately dispatched two of the clones with a quick punch; Kimiko was about to turn to her third when Mizuki appeared behind it. A quick chop to the back of the neck and the clone disappeared in puff of smoke. "We're wasting too much time playing with these pieces of trash," Kimiko growled. "Just take them out," she added.

Mizuki grinned menacingly and jumped at the remaining six figures still standing in the middle of the clearing. As he lunged forward, two of the figures dove for the trees at the side of the clearing. Kimiko followed the one that had gone to their left, and coincidentally towards the village. Mizuki eliminated the remaining four clones, before turning to go after the Naruto who had jumped into the trees on his right.

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

Kimiko easily caught up with Naruto; the boy had abandoned the trees and was racing along the forest floor towards the village. She jumped out of the tree and sprung towards Naruto; Naruto fell face first into the dirt when the older woman landed on his back. "Well, that means you aren't a clone," Kimiko replied smugly, when the body underneath her feet didn't pop away in a puff of smoke. "That means you're either the Kyuubi's host, which means I get to kill you, or you're the sensei in disguise, which means I get to kill you and then take the scroll," she added, when Naruto squirmed a bit so that he could glare up at her.

"Don't touch Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted rather foolishly.

Apparently Kimiko thought it was foolish as well; she stood up rolling her eyes and allowed Naruto to get back up. "You're just an annoyance that I need to get rid of," Kimiko stated coldly, causing Naruto to back up a bit nervously.

Despite his nervousness, Kimiko's earlier statement rang true. Naruto wasn't bad when he was panicking. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," Naruto shouted.

Kimiko was immediately surrounded by fifty clones. "Well that's impressive," she deadpanned, looking around at the group surrounding her. "Unfortunately for you, I'm not a pushover. I also have no reason to go easy on you, since we want you dead," she informed him.

Naruto didn't falter for a moment; the clones ignored the statement and lunged forward at the enemy shinobi. Kimiko easily dodged the sloppy and unorganized attacks from the clones. After a moment she grew restless and once again began forming hand seals. She paused mid seal and swung her head to the left, completely forgetting about the onslaught of clones. Two of the clones managed to land punches to her stomach; another lodged a kunai deep in her left thigh.

Kimiko fought the urge to scream, when the hits brought her back to her main focus. "Lucky brat, it seems like that Hokage of yours finally sent someone else out after you," she growled at him. "Unfortunately for you, they aren't going to get here in time."

The foreign shinobi repeated her earlier jutsu easily getting rid of the remaining shadow clones that hadn't been able to get out of the way. Without his shield of clones, Naruto was left wide open to attack.

Kimiko restarted a new set of seals. After she finished the last one, one hand went to the pouch on her hip and another to her mouth. She inhaled deeply and muttered, "Piripiri Koki," before breathing out. A deep gray smoke flew out from her lips and began to fill the clearing.

The last thing Naruto saw was Kimiko placing a gas mask over her face. He immediately brought his hands up to his mouth and nose hoping to keep from inhaling whatever she had spread through the air. When he felt cold metal touch the side of his neck, his eyes widened as the blade bit into the side of his neck. He managed to move out of the way after the fist cut on the left side of his neck. When a second kunai sank into the right side of his neck, Naruto opened his mouth and screamed.

His hands immediately flew up to his neck and he gagged as he breathed in the noxious air around him. "Enjoy the last few moments of your life," he heard a muffled voice say before a third kunai was once again driven into the left side of his neck.

Kimiko left the site quickly; she could feel a shinobi, probably Jounin level, closing in on her position fast. As she made her way back to Mizuki, she hoped he had gotten rid of the other sensei and found the Scroll of Seals.

The clearing they had occupied earlier was empty, so she took a brief moment to orient herself before taking off after Mizuki. She found him about half a kilometer away; the sensei was on the forest floor unconscious, and Mizuki was rooting around the area. The scroll was nowhere in sight.

"Did he have it?" Mizuki asked when she walked up to him.

"No, it wasn't anywhere in the area," she answered, "but he is dead."

"Iruka didn't have it either," Mizuki stated, gaining a bewildered look from his companion.

Kimiko was about to retort when she sensed several people heading towards the clearing. "Damn we're in trouble," she muttered, "At least three shinobi, probably Jounin, are heading this way. If we stay, we'll be caught."

"We can't go back without anything," Mizuki countered.

"The kid's dead; that'll be enough for now," Kimiko claimed. "We need to leave now," she added, taking off. Mizuki glanced back once wishing he had something to show for all their trouble. That brat's death wasn't satisfying enough for all the work they had put into the operation.

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

The Jounin cursed when he entered the small area and found nothing but a haze. The Hokage had told him that the boy would be here, now he just had to get rid of whatever substance was in the air. It was very likely that it was poisonous. He wasn't sure if the boy would be able to stand poison, even with the any recuperative abilities the Kyuubi gave him.

A quick wind jutsu cleared the area and he cursed when the fleeing fog revealed the boy's prone figure on the forest floor. Hopefully Naruto's sensei hadn't met the same fate, but that wasn't his responsibility at the moment. His orders were to bring the boy back to Hokage Tower where he would be treated.

The Jounin gave the boy a quick once over and was relieved to find him still breathing. The blood that he occasionally coughed up and the gurgling noise that accompanied his breathing was disconcerting, but as long as he continued breathing there was always a chance that the medics would be able to take care of him.

He gently hoisted the boy onto his back and took off back towards the village. If what the Hokage had said was true, this was going to cause a lot of problems.

And not just for the twelve year old in his arms.

* * *

AN: If you only know of Naruto through the English dub, _Kyuubi_ is the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox.

If you're not up to date with the manga, _jinchuuriki_ basically translates into "Power of Human Sacrifice". It is the technical term that we learn applies to Naruto because he has the demon sealed inside of him. It's isn't technically a spoiler because it appears that the only reason we haven't heard of it before is because of the laws in Konoha that restrict anybody from talking about the Kyuubi's sealing. For anyone outside of Konoha that knows about sealing incidents, it is the proper term; hence the fact that it is used here.

On another note, please don't ask me about pairings. I learned my lesson in my first two fics. I know that everyone has their own preferences and that when they come across a fic that they like, they won't those pairings to be used in that fic. There probably won't be any pairings in this fic, at least not in the beginning. I will not answer questions about pairings; it's that simple.

I hope that covers everything. If you have any other questions just add them in a review or email me. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!

Jutsu Translations:

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu / _Shadow Clone Jutsu_

Raikou Funsai no Jutsu / _Lightning Raze Jutsu_

Piripiri Koki / _Burning Exhalation_


	2. Acuity

AR: Hmm…there's a lot of talking in this chapter. It's also really sober; the tone will lighten up later, I promise.

Heh…I really am pathetic. I only write when I have about a dozen other assignments. This chapter was finished so that I could put off writing a stupid paper for one of my history classes and finish doing my French homework. Oh, the joys of college life and the wonder of procrastination. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Acuity**

"He's waking up, Hokage-sama," a young Medic Nin stated.

The Sandaime Hokage nodded his head wearily and dismissed the girl. By the time Genma and Anko had found Iruka he was unconscious and severely wounded. The scroll and the attackers were no where in sight. He had known that they wouldn't catch Mizuki and the other shinobi, but he also knew that they hadn't taken the scroll with them. He needed Iruka to wake up so that he could tell the Jounin where to find it.

A moan from the hospital bed reminded him of the nurse's words and he turned to find Iruka attempting to rub his eyes. The bandages on his arm hindered his movement so the Sandaime reached over and pushed his arm back down. "Try not to move too much. Quick movements could damage the stitches in your back…a medic will heal them in a bit, but they wanted you to recover a bit first," he informed the Academy sensei.

Iruka opened his mouth to ask a question but stuttered because of the dryness of his mouth. Sandaime handed him a glass of water and Iruka took a sip before asking again, "Where's Naruto?"

"He's recovering as well. I need to ask you a few questions," Sandaime said before he cut himself off.

Iruka was shaking his head. "What happened to him? He was fine when he took off," he muttered.

"The other shinobi…" Sandaime was once more cut off.

"She was from Kumo. Mizuki called her Kimiko," Iruka told him.

Sandaime stared at him for a moment before sitting back down and sighing. "Missing Nin?" he asked.

"Not likely, her forehead protector was untouched," Iruka answered.

"Mizuki-sensei was working with her?" he inquired, gaining a nod from Iruka. "They were after the scroll?" he added.

"Yes, but it sounded like they were after Naruto as well. He knows," Iruka informed him. "Mizuki blurted it out; I'm not sure how he'll take it once he has the time to realize what Mizuki told him," he added.

Sandaime dropped his head into his hands and rubbed at his eyes. "Where is the scroll?" Sandaime finally asked, remembering his initial reason for visiting the Chuunin.

Iruka blinked and looked up at him. "It's hidden near a clearing in the woods. One of Naruto's clones hid it in a tree," he answered.

"Will we need to wait for Naruto to find it, or can you show them where it is?" Sandaime asked.

"I can show them. But I'd like to see Naruto first," Iruka answered.

"Of course," Sandaime responded, standing up. "I'll get a nurse to release you," he added, walking out of the room.

Several minutes later Iruka heard the Hokage arguing with a nurse outside the room. After a minute or two, the nurse entered the room huffily and began to rewrap his bandages. When she was finished she stood up and looked at him sternly. "Try not to exert yourself too much for the next several days. Hokage-sama is forcing us to release far earlier than we should be, so try not to re-injure yourself," she told him.

When the nurse walked out, Sandaime reentered and helped Iruka stand back up and get ready to leave. As they exited, Iruka noticed a Jounin lounging against the wall across from his room; Sandaime waved the woman along and they made their way to the Hokage tower.

"Anko wait here; when we get back, Iruka will show you where the scroll was hidden," Sandaime ordered as they passed his office.

They turned down a smaller hallway not far from his office. Sandaime nodded to the silver haired Jounin leaning against the wall and then pushed open a door on his left. Iruka ignored the Jounin, only sparing a moment to glare at the book in his hand, and entered the room alongside the Hokage. He didn't see the wary look the Jounin cast him as he entered.

Iruka looked at the unconscious figure at the bed in confusion. Naruto showed no signs of injury. His face, which had been bruised and scratched even before Mizuki arrived, was now completely flawless; Naruto had always healed rather quickly, but he had never seen it happen in under a day. He suddenly looked up at the Hokage and asked, "How long was I out?"

"Barely twelve hours, the attack took place last night. All outward signs of his injuries were the first things to heal," Sandaime said, answering Iruka's unspoken question.

"Then why is he still unconscious? What happened to him?" Iruka asked.

"We won't know for sure until he wakes up. When Kakashi found him, the woman had created some type of poisonous cloud that was surrounding him. I've seen jutsu produce similar effects, but we weren't able to identify the poison. He also had several wounds on his neck," Sandaime explained, walking over to Naruto. He pushed the sheet down enough that Iruka was able to see three rough looking scars along Naruto's neck, two parallel ones on the left side and one on the right. "We think the blades were poisoned as well. It's the only explanation we've come up with for the scarring. It's likely that even those will fade within a few weeks."

"You're not telling me something," Iruka stated, looking at Naruto nervously.

"Between the effects of the poison and the three stab wounds on his neck, Naruto has been left with a permanent disability," Kakashi informed him, walking into the room from where he had been loitering and eaves dropping in the hall. "The medic that healed him couldn't get to the internal injuries in time. He thinks the Kyuubi's power may have focused on healing the external aspects that were directly threatening Naruto's life."

"What do you mean?" Iruka asked, turning back around to stare at Kakashi.

"The cloud must have been made from some sort of caustic substance. His throat and lungs seemed to have suffered from severe burns. The stab wound to the neck severed a nerve of some sort, it affects the vocal chords. None of the medics currently in Konoha have the ability to repair the main damage," Kakashi explained, scratching his head. For all his intelligence, he hated it when medics talked over him. He had had to make the man explain Naruto's injuries three times before he had figured out what the man was telling him.

"Vocal chords?" Iruka muttered, turning back to Naruto in horror.

"His words directly, 'His chances of regaining his ability to talk are about as high as the chances of all three Sannin returning to Konoha'," Kakashi quoted.

Sandaime sighed as Iruka attempted to digest everything that Kakashi had told him. "Naruto isn't supposed to wake up for another few hours. I know you probably want to be here when he does, but we need the scroll back within the city's walls. If you leave with Anko now, you'll be back in time," he informed him.

"What?" Iruka stuttered, turning back to the Hokage.

"The Scroll of Sealing, we need to bring it back into the village. You know where Naruto managed to hide it," Sandaime reminded him, bringing Iruka out of his stupor.

"Right," Iruka murmured. He gave Naruto one last glance before turning and leaving with the Hokage. Kakashi remained behind, settling down in a chair near the boy's bed and pulling his book back out.

As Iruka and Sandaime made their way back to the Hokage's office where Anko was waiting for them, Sandaime paused and turned to Iruka. "For now, no one but me, Kakashi, you, and the medic that treated him know of Naruto's injuries. We have reason to believe that if Mizuki was working as an insider others may be as well. Anko is under no circumstances even suspected; however, it would be best if news of Naruto's accident do not make it to the public and she does have a bit of a loud mouth," he explained.

Iruka nodded dumbly and went entered the Hokage's office ahead of him. "The two of you should head out," Sandaime said, walking over to his desk. "When you've found the scroll bring it straight back to me," he ordered before dismissing them.

Once the two had disappeared, Sandaime shuffled through the folders on his desk for a minute before grabbing three folders and heading back to Naruto's room. He slid inside, careful not to disturb the quiet atmosphere of the room. "Nothing's changed in the five minutes you've been gone," Kakashi remarked wryly.

"Naruto is being put on your team along with Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura," the Sandaime informed him, pulling up another chair to sit on the other side of Naruto's bed.

"So you want all three sent back to the academy?" Kakashi joked.

"You won't have the chance to send them back. Team 7 will be given an automatic pass. The council will go along with it because they would prefer that Sasuke work with the only other sharingan user in Konoha," Sandaime countered.

Kakashi sighed and put his book away. "I don't have a choice, do I?" he asked.

"I think you'll enjoy this team. Naruto will struggle a bit to recover and accommodate for what he has lost, but from what I saw when he went up against Mizuki you'll be in for a number of surprises. Sasuke is talented, but he needs to be redirected; he is far too focused on revenge. Naruto may also need to be steered away from revenge as well; it all depends on how he takes the news when he wakes up," the Hokage told Kakashi.

"What about the last one?" Kakashi asked.

"Haruno Sakura is a very bright girl. However, she lacks practical experience and some of her more physical skills have been neglected. The biggest problem your team will have is learning to overcome their obstacles and work together. All three are very independent and Naruto and Sasuke don't get along very well," Sandaime explained.

"So you gave me the three misfits. They were put on a team together because anywhere else and they would have messed up the chemistry," Kakashi said.

"Individually they may have worked in other teams, but the students that were ousted to make room for them would not have been able to form a coherent team. You were given these three because you will be able to use their individual talents and help them work together. Sasuke's sharingan hasn't been activated yet, and right now he is the only one who knows any jutsu aside from those learned in the academy. You have the chance to hone their skills nearly from scrap," Sandaime explained.

"You've failed so many teams because none of them fit the mold you wanted them to. With this team you'll have the chance to remold them into it; there's nothing to stop them from becoming an excellent team with excellent teamwork and individual talent," he added as Kakashi's confidence began to waver.

"That'll be difficult if Naruto and Sasuke carry a negative history over onto the team," Kakashi stated.

"That will be taken care of. You won't be the only one working with them," Sandaime said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kakashi asked.

"Naruto will not be able to remain on his own. With this disability he'll be left without the means to summon help should he need it. Sasuke has been descending ever since his clan's massacre. He may well become a danger to himself. I believe that Iruka can be convinced to take them in," Sandaime stated.

"You're shunting two possibly unstable teenagers onto a charitable Chuunin," Kakashi stated in awe.

"I believe that he would have taken Naruto in earlier had it not been for the conflict interests presented. Taking in both Naruto and Sasuke will allow Iruka to maintain a connection with two of his favorite students. He would have remained watchful of their teaching regardless," Sandaime clarified.

Kakashi rubbed his head in irritation. "So my job is to make sure that the girl can fit into this equation, and make all three of them stronger," he said.

"Basically. You should also know that you'll need to work them a bit harder than most Jounin sensei would. Because of the automatic pass they'll be judged slightly harder to assure that they deserved it. If news of the pass makes it out to their peers they may be required to prove themselves in a completely different arena. The change will need to be noticeable," Sandaime claimed.

"So instead of fostering a couple of brats who want to become Chuunin and make their families proud, I'm supposed to create three shinobi," Kakashi reasoned.

"Yes," Sandaime answered.

Kakashi sighed once more before giving in. "Let me see their files."

Sandaime pulled out the three folders he had slid into his robes and handed them to the Jounin. "I'll speak to you a bit more once Iruka has returned," he said slipping back out of the room. Kakashi pulled out the folders and began reading.

That was Iruka found him two hours later when he returned. He slipped into the room and sat down in the seat the Hokage had abandoned several hours earlier. "How is he?" Iruka asked hesitantly.

Kakashi finished reading the last of Naruto's file before placing it down and turning back to Iruka. "Nothing's changed yet. The medic came by about half an hour ago, Naruto should wake up within the next hour or so. If he doesn't, then his theory about Naruto's coma was wrong, and he doesn't know what's going on," Kakashi reassured Iruka half-heartedly.

Iruka looked at him in bewilderment before dropping his head into hid hands helplessly. "Tactful as always Kakashi," Sandaime muttered entering the room as well.

"The medic believes that Naruto is regaining the strength he used last night, as well as taking the time to recover from the extensive healing that took place," Sandaime explained.

Iruka looked up nodded wearily before sending Kakashi a weak glare. Sandaime chuckled lightly before pulling up the last free chair in the room and taking a seat near the foot of the bed. "I only have a short time before I need to return to my office. I have a meeting with the elders tonight to discuss Kakashi's team," he explained.

"What?" Iruka asked.

"Tomorrow we'll need to meet to put together the other Genin teams before they meet for orientation next week. However, I have already put together one team. Kakashi will become the sensei for Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura; unless you can think of a better third for that team," Sandaime explained.

"How is Naruto being placed on a team? I mean if he had passed he would have been placed on the same team as Sasuke anyways because of their class standings, but he failed the exam and now…the injuries…" Iruka trailed off in confusion.

"Mizuki told Naruto that if he managed to steal the forbidden scroll and learn one jutsu he would pass. I intend to uphold that promise despite Mizuki's betrayal," Sandaime claimed.

"However, he cannot go on as he was. For now we'll keep his injury under the radar, but if someone with a grudge were to discover it they may try to take advantage of it. Because of that I don't want Naruto to remain on his own; if he is, he will be an easier target," the Hokage continued.

"He can stay with me," Iruka responded without hesitation.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Sandaime said. Any further discussion was interrupted when the form on the bed began to stir.

* * *

AR: I am in no way connected to the medical profession, any medical terminology used was researched on line so I don't how trustworthy it is. Don't worry about all the mumbo jumbo, for now Naruto can't vocalize anything.

Review Responses:

**_Tombadgerlock,_****_Shinsei Tsukiko,_** **_Azamiko,_****_HanaTenshiHimeko, _** I'm glad you've enjoyed it so much. Hopefully this chapter was as good as the last one!

**_Silverchild of the winds_** umm… I'm a little confused by your first comment. If you could elaborate a bit that would help; I wasn't sure if you meant in that chapter specifically or if you mean you think the story isn't going to. I'm glad you enjoyed it though and think it sounds promising for the future! The title _Juniper_ comes from the plant juniper (like the tree and stuff), in flower language (I swear it's a real thing) juniper stands for protection. It will make more sense as the story goes on; hope that clears it up a bit.

**_Nasuren_** sorry for the confusion. I'm using the jutsu names used in the official American dub that debuted on cartoon network. The translation used for Kage Bunshin no Jutsu in that is Shadow Clone Jutsu (I think it has Multi in front of it but I can't check at the moment). That's the one I'm using for this story. I hope that clears it up a bit. Enjoy!

**_Miss Selarne_** for now I'm sticking with the English names; however, I may change that depending on the name they use for Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu. I'll let you know if I've changed my mind next chapter probably. Enjoy!


	3. Recovery

AR: So I'm totally supposed to be studying for my Medieval Literature mid-term, but screw that. I'm far enough behind in updating as it is so I figured I'd procrastinate a bit more and finish this up. If you read either of my other stories, I hope to have them updated in a week; that may be a bit too optimistic but we'll see if I can get it done.

Enjoy!

From here on out Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language; I'll probably use more than one form of sign language but I'll denote that in the sentence, it will still be within single quotes ''.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

If anything else comes up I'll tell you when we get there. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Recovery**

"I'll leave you with him for a while," Sandaime said, looking at Naruto as he began to stir, "I'll be back later tonight to speak with him. You can explain the situation to him if you feel comfortable enough to do so; otherwise, I will do it when I return."

Iruka barely nodded and refused to take his eyes off of Naruto as Sandaime closed the door behind him, leaving Kakashi with Iruka and Naruto. Iruka shifted his chair closer to the bed as Naruto's hand twitched. Without warning the blond shot up in the bed gasping for air. "It must be a reaction to waking up after the poison," Kakashi muttered, trying not to alarm Iruka. "The last thing he remembers is not being able to breathe so he's compensating for it," he added.

Iruka moved to sit on the edge of the bed and placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders trying to calm him down. "Calm down; you might reopen the wounds on your neck," Iruka lied, trying to convince Naruto to stop panicking. Naruto immediately stilled as he recognized the figure in front of him. He opened his mouth to ask what happened, but Iruka stopped him. "Don't say anything right now," Iruka stated, trying to avoid the inevitable explanation that would have to come when Naruto realized he didn't have a voice. "Mizuki and his partner escaped, but they didn't manage to find the scroll. We retrieved it earlier today so it's back in Hokage Tower," he explained.

Naruto nodded after a moment and gazed around the room in confusion. Once more Iruka interrupted him before he could ask questions. "Kakashi found you last night and brought you here. You're in one of the spare rooms in Hokage Tower; it wasn't safe to take you to the hospital without knowing the whole of the situation and what had happened to you," he claimed.

Naruto's brow furrowed as he glanced at the silver-haired man sitting near his bed. Kakashi appeared to be paying little attention to Naruto and Iruka as they caught up, and Naruto's eyes widened when he realized what the man was reading. "Close your eyes for a moment," Iruka said when Naruto opened his mouth to shout at the Jounin. Naruto blinked in confusion, but obeyed Iruka's request. The academy sensei took a moment to glare in annoyance at the Jounin, before he reached back behind his head and slipped off his forehead protector. Kakashi raised his eyebrow inquisitively, but Iruka poignantly ignored him. "Sandaime is honoring Mizuki's promise," Iruka stated, reaching around Naruto head and tying the forehead protector around Naruto neck over the scars.

Naruto blinked as a weight settled around his neck and opened his eyes as he tried to figure out what Iruka meant. When he noticed the lack of forehead protector on Iruka's head his eyes widened and he reached up to finger the object around his neck. Once he had identified the cloth and metal materials of the object, he cautiously glanced down and barely believed his eyes when he realized what Iruka had given him. Naruto beamed at Iruka and launched himself at his teacher with what was supposed to be a whoop of joy, only to descend into a fit of coughing as he landed against Iruka. "Don't strain your throat," Iruka cautioned as he caught Naruto. He brought a hand up to the boy's mouth and wiped away a small amount of blood with a grimace.

Kakashi caught site of the blood and rose from his seat. "Apparently he hasn't fully healed. I'll go get the medic to check on him again," he stated, sliding out of the room.

Naruto brought a hand up to his mouth in confusion as he coughed a bit more. He drew his hand away and Iruka sighed in relief when no blood was on it. "When Kakashi found you, your throat had been sliced three times. There was also evidence of an airborne poison that the medic believes was caustic enough to cause some internal damage," Iruka explained.

Naruto listened patiently to what his teacher said, but blinked in confusion as he explained something about poison. "It damaged your lungs and throat," Iruka simplified when he caught Naruto's baffled look. Naruto opened his mouth cautiously and attempted to ask how bad the damage was; his lack of voice seemed to answer his question.

Iruka watched cautiously as Naruto seemed to realize just what had happened to him. He was about to speak when Kakashi reentered the room with a medic in tow. The medic glared slightly at Kakashi when he saw Naruto sitting quietly on the bed. "I thought you said he reopened something," the medic stated walking over to Naruto.

"He coughed up blood," Iruka explained.

"Well that's not out of the ordinary. His lungs and throat are rather raw, any overexertion will disturb them and could cause bleeding," the medic explained, tilting Naruto's head up towards him. "Open your mouth," he said; Naruto complied without thinking. The medic held up a small flashlight and gazed into the boy's mouth. "It looks like it's already healing again, but try to avoid overstressing both areas for at least another week. Hopefully by then, the rawness will have decreased enough to avoid random coughing fits and bleeding," he explained. He gazed at Naruto in consideration for a moment before saying, "Attempt to say something. Don't shout; just attempt a simple word."

Naruto opened his mouth and attempted to say hello, but nothing but air exited his mouth. "Despite the damage to the throat itself, he should at least be able to whisper if that were the only damage. I wasn't positive when I treated him earlier, but by now I don't see an explanation for complete vocal loss unless the nerve was damaged," the medic explained, standing back up and turning to Iruka and Kakashi. "His regenerative abilities don't seem to have corrected it, but I can't honestly speculate the reason behind that," he added.

Naruto's eyes furrowed in confusion and he turned to Iruka, tugging on the man's sleeve to get his attention. Iruka placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder in reassurance, but turned back to the medic as he began to speak. "I'm sorry to say that as far as I'm aware, none of my staff has the capabilities of such a surgery to repair it," he stated, nodding to them and turning to go. He paused at the door and turned back to look at Naruto, "For the next week avoid irritating your throat; don't attempt to speak and don't eat or drink anything too hot or too cold," he instructed, "I'll check in later this week."

Once the medic had disappeared, Iruka turned his attention back to Naruto. Kakashi reached under his chair and pulled out a small tablet and a piece of chalk. "Use this to ask any questions," he said, handing the objects to Naruto.

Naruto blinked as Iruka took them from Kakashi and handed them to him. "Wait a minute," Iruka said as he did a double take at the tablet, "where did you get this?" he asked, looking at Kakashi suspiciously.

"I snuck into the academy and took one from storage this morning after I heard the original diagnosis," Kakashi said nonchalantly, as he pulled his book back out. Naruto snickered quietly and Iruka sighed at the Jounin. The book of course reminded Naruto of one of the first things he meant to say. /Pervert/ Naruto wrote before sliding the miniature chalkboard to Iruka and pointing to Kakashi. Iruka's eyes bulged slightly as he attempted not to laugh at Naruto's comment. "I agree," he settled on saying, before quickly wiping the board clean and handing it back to Naruto.

Kakashi briefly looked up from his book, but shrugged when he saw Naruto writing his next question. /What next/ he asked simply.

Iruka looked at the question before launching into the plans that the Hokage had informed them of shortly before Naruto had woken up that afternoon. When Sandaime walked up to Naruto's room two hours later, he was smiling at the success of his talk with the elders. He had managed to gain Team 7's exemption from the secondary Genin exam without proposing it himself – and more importantly without bringing Naruto's condition into light. "Kakashi for once you're reputation was a blessing," he muttered as he opened the door, hoping to find Naruto awake.

He walked in to find Iruka chuckling at a rather put out white-haired Jounin. Naruto was scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "What did I miss?" Sandaime asked walking in.

"Naruto accidentally insulted Kakashi's hair," Iruka chuckled.

Sandaime shook his head in amusement and sat down at the foot of the bed in the chair Iruka had abandoned. He studied Naruto's cheerful demeanor and pleased to note that the boy showed no signs of self doubt or real anger. Despite the fact that he could be covering them up, at least he appeared to be handling the situation rather well. "I'm not sure what you were told so far, but I'd like to explain at least some of what I feel should happen," he stated, catching Naruto's attention.

"For the next week as you begin your recovery, I want you to remain here. Depending on your condition next week, I may allow your release into Iruka's custody – this is in no way punishment; I'm merely concerned for your safety while we get you back on your feet." He assumed Naruto's nod meant the boy had already been told this. "Next week all those who passed the Genin exam will be meeting on Monday for orientation and to be assigned to teams. Judging by the forehead protector on your neck, you were already told that because of your behavior once you realized the true situation last night you've passed as well. However, I don't want you at the orientation. I'd rather keep your promotion and status quiet for the time being until we can gauge exactly what Mizuki and his partner's goals were."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue, but Iruka slapped a hand over it. "Let him talk," he instructed. Naruto wilted slightly and crossed his arms huffily over his chest, turning to pout at the Hokage.

Sandaime chuckled and continued. "Genin are split into teams of three and assigned to a Jounin sensei; you'll meet your teammates Monday afternoon. However, your sensei is sitting right here," he said, pointing to Kakashi, "I am pleased to see that you two have gotten off on the right foot." Kakashi turned to smirk rather evilly at Naruto, and the blond cowered slightly when he realized how angry the Jounin probably was at all the insults.

Sandaime allowed himself to chuckle briefly at their interaction before continuing. "Over the next week I would like you to begin studying sign language with Iruka. You're teammates will learn some as well next week, but I would like you to be able to converse with Kakashi and Iruka. I'll leave it up to them," he said, gaining a nod from Naruto.

"Excellent," Sandaime said, standing back up. "I'll check in on you again tomorrow in case you come up with any questions. Until then sleep well and don't let Kakashi annoy you too much."

When the Hokage had left, Naruto turned to Iruka pouting. /I want ramen/ he wrote.

Iruka glanced at Naruto's request and smiled politely at him. "The medic said no ramen," he stated.

Naruto looked up at him fearfully and shook his head. "He said nothing too hot. I suppose I could get you some ramen, but you would have to let it sit in front of you for at least half an hour as it cooled. Then you would have to very careful to eat it slowly, and I couldn't possibly let you have more than one bowl because that just wouldn't be healthy as you recover," Iruka explained.

It was Kakashi's turn to chuckle as Naruto gaped helplessly at Iruka. "Why don't I go find something healthy for you to eat," the Jounin offered, standing up still smirking at Naruto.

* * *

AR: This chapter wasn't really edited and I wrote it at like two in the morning so I hope it's coherent. I promise I'll look it over again this weekend and make any changes, but feel free to tell me if you see something that needs to be changed.

Just a quick note about jutsu names; I'm gonna try to go back within the next week or so and change them from English to Japanese – I'll add the translations and maybe a description at the bottom. I've decided that there are too many inconsistencies in the different translations, so I'm just gonna stick to the original names – hopefully they'll be correct.

I'd also like to say again that by now the attempts to explain Naruto's condition with medical terminology is completely my opinion. I only know so much, so the medic's explanations are there basically because they work with the story.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed.

**_GMan,_****_Hiei Girl 003,_** **_Azamiko,_** **_Nai-chama,_****_Anime-Yasha,_** **_HanaTenshiHimeko,_** **_ckr990_** glad you enjoyed it!

**_Foxcat_** yeah I tend to be inconsistent with what I chose to translate. I normally use the Japanese names for villages simply because with the exception of Hidden Sound, I read/heard the Japanese names first and they stuck. I'll normally go back and forth between the English and Japanese names anyways so it'll vary between say Kumo and Cloud. Glad you decided to review!

**_Tombadgerlock_** ha! I couldn't imagine taking away his jutsu. Don't worry; he'll still be kick ass.

**_Miss Selarne_** heh, glad you caught the Sannin hint! Enjoy!

**_IcecreamMakingGuy_** thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it, and don't worry I don't post a fic unless I intend to finish it. Life is a bit hectic right now because of school (and two other fics) so updates may be a little slow at least until I catch up on everything, but I won't just stop the fic.


	4. Strategy

AR: Just a real quick note, I went back and changed a few things in the first three chapters. There's nothing huge, but it might help if you have the time to look back over them at some point. Also as I said last chapter, I went back and changed the jutsu names back to Japanese; just like I did when I fixed the first chapter, whenever I use jutsu I'll include translations in the Author's Rants at the end of the chapter.

This chapter is once again a lot of talking, but there's a bit more action at the end. Starting next chapter there'll probably be more action.

I'd just like to share with you all that I was a bit tired as I finished this. So tired that when my spell check suggested I replace 'dango' with 'dingo' I was tempted to do it just for the heck of it. And Genma almost became 'the one with the tooth' instead of 'the one with the toothpick'. I swear I'm on crack sometimes

Thanks for reading and sorry about the long wait, hopefully this won't happen again. Enjoy!

From here on out Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language; I'll probably use more than one form of sign language but I'll denote that in the sentence, it will still be within single quotes ''.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

If anything else comes up I'll tell you when we get there. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Strategy**

Haruno Sakura was in heaven.

She had arrived an hour early the day of Genin Orientation with the intent of getting a seat next to one Uchiha Sasuke; she had succeeded.

He had even made it easy for her by taking the seat farthest from the center isle so that there was only one seat available that was next to him. As they say: the early bird gets the worm, and she had gotten it in the form of that one open seat. Now she was one step closer to becoming Uchiha Sakura.

To make matters even better, she had heard that her bane, Uzumaki Naruto, had failed the Genin Exams for the third time in a row so there was no chance she would have to worry about being on a team with him. Better yet, no on had even seen or heard from him in the week since the exam.

Yes, she was definitely in Heaven, she thought as she turned to glance prettily at Sasuke.

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

Iruka shook his head in amusement at the group of new Genin in front of him. It never ceased to amuse him how excited they got even though the majority of them would end up either back at the Academy, dropping out, or under special care instead of becoming active Genin.

He was a little disappointed that no one had supposedly noticed Naruto's absence, but he knew Naruto hadn't really been close friends with any of his classmates unless he was working with them to skip class. He only hoped that the Hokage knew what he was doing by placing Naruto with Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke. They would definitely be an odd group. He glanced down at the Team listings and smirked; they would all be odd groups.

Shikamaru's utterance of "How troublesome," was his cue to start so he shuffled his papers a final time and stood up to face the students he had taught for the past four years. He cleared his throat to get his students attention and smiled at their excited faces. "Congratulations, from this day forward you are no longer merely students of ninjutsu. As of today you are all Genin. Today you join the proud ranks of Shinobi of Konohagakure. However, it would do each and every one of you good to remember that among these ranks you are at the bottom. You all have a great deal to learn and for some of you, you may learn that being a shinobi is not what you imagined. Some of you may learn that being a shinobi is not meant for you.

"Today I will divide you into three man teams that were decided upon by the Hokage. You and your teammates will work together under the guidance of a Jounin. This Jounin will aid you as you become accustomed to the many duties that shinobi must accomplish," Iruka finished his opening speech and looked up at his students smiling. Many only looked more excited, but he was glad to see that at least of few of them looked uncomfortable. And so he got started; the first five teams complied happily with their new assignments, but if he was to be completely honest with himself: none of them would pass the second exam. "Team 8: Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, and Inuzuka Kiba. Team 9: Akame Ami, Lou Fan, and Hijiri Fuki. And finally Team 10: Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chouji. All of you have an hour for lunch. After that, please return here to meet with your sensei. I wish all of you luck," he said still smiling at them.

Sakura looked at him in confusion for a moment before glancing around the classroom and back at Iruka. She began to raise her hand when he glanced over at her. "I'll speak with you just a moment," Iruka said before Sakura could say anything. He turned away from his curious students and began packing away his papers so that he could accompany Sasuke and Sakura to meet with Kakashi. When he finished and turned back around he was amused to see his entire class still in their seats. "I said you could all go to lunch," he repeated in amusement.

"Iruka-sensei, if Sasuke-kun doesn't have a team. He can be on mine, I'm sure Chouji or Shikamaru wouldn't mind leaving," Ino told him sweetly.

Iruka chuckled at her hopefulness, but only shook his head at her. "All of you are dismissed for lunch. I'm taking Sakura and Sasuke to meet their new sensei and teammate," Iruka informed them, heading for the door and beckoning for the two students to follow.

"I'm on Sasuke-kun's team!" Sakura shouted in excitement, as she stuck her tongue out at Ino and followed Iruka out the door.

"I'd feel sorry for him if he wasn't such a jackass," Shikamaru muttered to Chouji and Kiba, gaining a few chuckles.

"So who do you think their new teammate is?" Kiba asked, catching the classrooms attention.

"It could be Naruto," Chouji suggested, "maybe he didn't fail after all."

"Neh, its probably some Genin whose team has already been promoted or killed," Shikamaru reasoned, "Whoever it is, I don't care enough to look into it."

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

Iruka led Sasuke and Sakura out of the academy and towards the administration building. He ignored their questioning glances the whole the way there. If he was to be honest with them he would admit that he wasn't fully aware of what Kakashi was planning either. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of bringing them to Naruto's room with no explanation, but Kakashi seemed to believe it was important for Naruto to be there when they were told.

As they walked past the Hokage's office, Sandaime surprised them by calling out to Iruka and asking them to wait for him. "Ah, thank you, I was just getting ready to head over and check on his progress," Sandaime informed them as he exited his office and joined them in the hall.

"Of course," Iruka said, turning back to the hallway and heading towards Naruto's room. "When I left this morning he had solved the name problem by deciding to just use nicknames for everyone," Iruka explained, "also he's improved a lot faster than we expected. His lexicon isn't large, but what he knows, he knows well and is able to recall quickly. We didn't actually expect him to be able to hold a conversation this early, but he was actually getting close this morning. Of course he would probably be learning quite a bit quicker if he didn't constantly stop to read that comic you gave him," Iruka added, turning to scowl slightly at Sandaime.

"Ah, I was hoping he'd enjoy that. I got one for my grandson as well to reward him for his hard work in school," Sandaime answered, smiling at Iruka's frustration.

Iruka paused in front of the door to Naruto's room and knocked twice waiting for Kakashi to answer. A moment later the door was yanked open by Kakashi and his glare immediately settled on Iruka. "Pervert?" he asked, causing Sasuke and Sakura to look over at Iruka in shock.

"Excuse me?" Iruka asked.

"You taught him how to sign 'pervert'," Kakashi stated.

"I did not; his language was horrible before, I'm certainly not teaching him anything like that," Iruka countered angrily, shoving his way into the room. He stopped short when he saw Naruto curled up on the bed shaking with laughter.

"I must apologize, Kakashi," Sandaime said from the door as he chuckled at the sight. "I taught him the sign last night and it wasn't until just now that I realized why he wanted to learn it," he apologized, chuckling at the Jounin. "Now if you don't mind, your students are all here and I believe they have quite a bit to hear," he said, ushering Sasuke and Sakura in and pointing to the chairs that had been left near Naruto's bedside. Sandaime followed them in and sat next to Naruto on the opposite side of the bed.

"Naruto's our teammate? I thought he didn't graduate," Sakura said in confusion.

"Naruto took an alternate exam after it was learned that one of the Academy teachers was biased against him," Sandaime explained, "Kakashi, I'll allow you to explain the rest of the situation to them."

"I'll let Iruka do it," Kakashi informed them, sitting down next to Sandaime and pulling out his book. Iruka looked at him in exasperation, but when the Sandaime chuckled and nodded to him he sighed and turned back to Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto.

"Under normal circumstances none of you would actually be Genin yet; normally after passing the academy tests and being placed on teams you would face a second test that is meant to gage your ability to work as active shinobi on a team. For several reasons including Naruto's injuries, the council decided that your team would not take this test. They didn't do this because they believed that you would not be able to pass the test on your own; in fact, it was done for the opposite reason. However, they had to judge on the cautious side and Kakashi's reputation worried them.

"Because you won't be taking this test, all of you are now officially Genin and once Naruto is released you'll be able to begin active duty including missions. However, because you didn't go through the second test this team will be run slightly differently from the other Genin teams. The majority of your team's emphasis will be focused on training," he explained; he wasn't sure he liked the glint that had appeared in Naruto and Sasuke's eyes.

"You will accomplish missions less frequently than other teams, most likely you will only achieve enough to take the Chuunin Exams at the time Kakashi chooses, probably in about year," he continued; he was certain he didn't like the glint that appeared in Kakashi's eyes.

"Starting tomorrow, Kakashi will be testing each of you individually. He will grade you in all aspects of ninja ability, even those that you may not be aware of. I have agreed to give all three of you some individual supplementary training so that Kakashi can focus on your teamwork and overall training," he finished, smiling at them.

Sandaime smiled at the three Genin as they took in everything Iruka had told them, most of it was new even to Naruto. Kakashi looked up with start when he realized Iruka had finished speaking. "Actually, I already finished testing Naruto. His results are over there," he said, pointing to a folder on the nightstand next to Naruto's bed.

Sandaime nodded to him and then turned back to the three. "I should warn all three of you, that while this seems like a remarkable opportunity, it will not be easy. Council decisions such as this one are not common knowledge; however, there is nothing to stop your friends from finding out. You may be criticized by others who believe you are being favored over them or who believe you are being pampered. There may come a time when you have to show others that you deserved this. And there will come a time when you have to show the Council and myself that we were right in believing that you were worthy," he told them gravely. "And with that, Iruka and I are going to step out for a bit," he stated, standing up and taking Naruto's folder with him. "I'll be back to check on Naruto's progress later tonight," he added as he walked out the door with Iruka right behind him.

The three Genin appeared shocked at Sandaime's previous words so Kakashi waited a few moments after the Hokage left before speaking. "Now that you understand the situation a bit better, why don't you tell me a bit about yourselves? Things like your favorite things, what you hate the most, dreams, ambitions, hobbies, favorite volume of Icha, Icha Paradise, most embarrassing story about Iruka-sensei, etc." he finished, eye curving up in amusement. "You first," he decided after a moment, pointing to Sakura.

"Umm… My favorite thing is…well it's not a thing, it's a person. A boy...and that boy is," she paused for a moment and glanced over at Sasuke, blushing. "Uh…Let's move on to my dream," she paused again and let out a small squeal and blushed a deeper red as she glanced at Sasuke again. "My hobbies are…" she let off a soft sigh as she turned to and smiled dreamily at Sasuke before coming back to her senses and turning back to the others.

"I hate stupid people who goof off all the time," she said, glancing at Naruto out of the corner of her eye. "I don't know what Icha, Icha Paradise is and I don't know any embarrassing stories about Iruka-sensei and even if I did I probably wouldn't share them with you because apparently you're a pervert," she finished resolutely with a light glare in Kakashi's direction.

Kakashi outwardly giggled at her insult and made mental notes of her speech as he turned to Sasuke who had stared resolutely at the wall during Sakura's entire speech. "Now you, Casanova," he quipped, causing Sakura to blush to the roots of her hair and Sasuke to glare at him.

"There are plenty of things of I hate, but I don't see how it matters, considering there is almost nothing I like. It seems pointless to talk about 'dreams'…that's just a word…but I do have an ambition: to restore my clan and to kill a certain man," Sasuke finished.

Much to Kakashi's annoyance, he hadn't even bothered to respond to his last two questions. "All right," Kakashi said, turning to Naruto and getting a grin in response. "Naruto's been practicing all day for this, so let's try it," he said, causing the other two to look at Naruto in confusion.

"So now you're so stupid that you have to practice to answer questions that don't have a right or wrong answer," Sasuke commented, smirking at the blond.

Kakashi was impressed with Naruto's quick response and use of sign language, but he was fairly certain that it wasn't anything Iruka or even Sandaime had taught him. "Now, now kiddies, let's all get along," he said, grinning at them. "Go ahead Naruto," he said when Sasuke crossed his arms and stopped smirking.

Naruto closed his eyes for a moment and scrunched his face up in concentration before nodding to himself and turning to look at his teammates. 'I like ramen. I like it when Sensei buys me ramen at restaurants. I hate waiting three minutes for instant ramen and when Sensei doesn't let me have ramen. I want to become Hokage and gain acknowledgement from the villagers,' Naruto finished, looking over to grin at Kakashi.

Kakashi grinned back at Naruto, before turning to the two stooped Genin sitting next to him. "Since I'm sure neither of you understand sign language, allow me to interpret for you. He said he likes ramen; especially when Iruka buys it for him from Ichiraku's. He hates waiting three minutes for instant ramen to cook and when Iruka doesn't let him have ramen, which I would like to remind him is in fact the order of his doctor. His dream is to become Hokage and gain acknowledgement from the villagers, which will be discussed at a later date," he explained, trailing off to whisper lightly at the end.

"Why did he use sign language?" Sakura asked, her eyes attempting not to tear up at the possibilities.

"Naruto was injured in an attack a week ago; his voice is out of commission until Sandaime can contact a competent medic," Kakashi explained. "This means, of course, that part of your training will be learning sign language. Iruka will be including that in you supplementary training, beginning tomorrow. And no, you cannot slack off simply because you feel it is an inconvenience," he added the last part looking over at Sasuke, who scowled deeper.

Sakura was looking intently at Naruto as he grinned over at Kakashi. After a moment she turned to look at Kakashi, but he began speaking again before she could say anything. "Well, we're finished for the day. Naruto is stuck here for the next two days, which is why I'm using tomorrow and the day after that for your testing," he said pointing to Sakura and Sasuke. "Tomorrow morning, I want the two of you to report to Sandaime's office; he'll tell you where to go after that. I'll start with Sasuke's test tomorrow; Sakura you'll be working with Naruto and Iruka on sign language," he told them. "I'll show the two of you out," he added standing up, "Naruto I'll send Iruka back in when I pass him.

Naruto grinned and signed, "Ramen."

"No, I will not tell him to get you ramen," Kakashi retorted as he closed the door.

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

The next morning Sakura arrived at the administration building bright and early. She ran into Sasuke outside of the Hokage's office, where he was sitting impatiently against the wall. "His aides said he would see us at eight," Sasuke told her.

She checked her watch and saw that they still had fifteen minutes to wait. "It would have been nice of Kakashi-sensei to tell us that," she muttered angrily.

Luckily they didn't have to wait that long. As Sandaime's chuckle told them he was already prepared to see them. "Now, now, it's nothing that bad," he promised them as he ushered them into his office. "I wanted to talk to you this morning because there are several things I need to explain to the two of you. As I'm sure Kakashi told you yesterday, Naruto was injured about a week ago, which resulted in his loss of voice. For the time being, I'm going to ask that you not tell anyone that Naruto is on your team. This will not last for very long, but we are trying to keep Naruto's injuries from becoming general knowledge. As I'm sure you both know, a shinobi should keep their weaknesses well hidden and we would like to help him do so. For now if people simply don't know where he is, he is less likely to be forced into compromising himself," he told them.

"So, can we not talk about our team?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"Not at all, I'm simply asking that you avoid giving his name and talking about him specifically. It will probably be easier to do if you talk about your team in general instead of each member specifically. Do you understand?" he asked.

Sakura nodded reluctantly trying to figure out how she would be able to do so. Sandaime smiled at their nods and then turned to lead them back to the door. "I'll take you to Kakashi now," he added, leading them out into the hallway. They passed two of the Hokage's aides on the way and Sasuke glared at them as they chuckled. When they reached Naruto's room Sandaime knocked twice and they waited.

After several moments, Naruto answered the door and let them in. 'They aren't here,' he explained to Sandaime.

"Well then, while we're waiting for them why don't you show me what you learned last night?" Sandaime suggested, taking a chair next to Naruto.

Naruto thought for a moment and then began signing a list of words. While Sakura and Sasuke watched, Sandaime studied Naruto's movements occasionally pointing out small mistakes. Sandaime eyes widened when Naruto signed his seventh word and reached out his hands to stop Naruto from going on. "Who on earth taught you that one?" he asked, gaining a sheepish grin from Naruto before he signed 'Pervert."

"Why?" Sandaime asked in exasperation.

Naruto snickered and signed 'Names.'

"Whose?"

Naruto grinned and jabbed his finger in Sasuke's direction.

"I should have seen this coming," Sandaime said sighing. "Is there anyway you can be convinced to change it?"

Naruto nodded his head resolutely.

"What is he calling me?" Sasuke asked cautiously.

Naruto repeated the sign and Sasuke and Sakura turned to Sandaime for explanation. "He's signing 'Bastard'," Sandaime finally explained.

"How dare you call Sasuke-kun that!" Sakura shouted in outrage, standing up and preparing to berate Naruto.

"What did he call Sasuke?" Iruka asked, cutting off Sakura's rant. He entered the room and placed the bag he was carrying on the table next to Naruto's bed. "Well, what did you call him?" he asked a suddenly sheepish Naruto.

Naruto hesitantly repeated the signing, 'Bastard.'

Iruka smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand and turned to look down at Naruto. "You're giving me a headache," he told the boy. "I realize you find this amusing, but if you refuse to be nice can't you at least call him something neutral. I'm sure he would rather be called 'boy' or 'blue' than your choice."

"I'd rather he just use my name," Sasuke growled out.

"Well that would be rather cumbersome," Iruka explained.

"Naruto is in fact not learning sign language to completely replace speaking; there is still a possibility that he will be healed. Because of this, he's learning it in stages of practicality and finger spelling, which is how most names are done in sign language, is quite impractical," Sandaime explained.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"Sadly, in order to sign 'Sasuke' it would take more time than it does to sign 'Bastard'," Iruka said.

"Mainly due to the fact that time is often of the essence, Naruto is learning to abbreviate where he can, so context will be important when interpreting what he signs," Sandaime added.

"Well don't call Sasuke 'bastard'," Sakura said, turning back to berate Naruto.

"Well that's not fair, no one protested when he decided to call me 'Pervert'," Kakashi whined falsely from the door.

Naruto rolled his eyes at his whining, and Sakura noted that it was synchronized with Iruka's eye roll. "You are one," Iruka finally stated. "Try to come up with something else today, alright?" he told Naruto. Naruto nodded grudgingly as Iruka turned back to the bag he had brought and pulled out a book. "Which one are you taking today?" he asked Kakashi.

"I'll work with Sasuke today and do Sakura's tomorrow. Keep her here until I return though so I can talk to all three of them again," Kakashi said, stepping up behind Sasuke and placing a hand on his shoulder.

Iruka nodded and handed the book to Sakura as Kakashi and Sasuke left. "I'll come by and check on you all later," Sandaime said with a wave as he followed Kakashi and Sasuke out the door, shutting it behind him.

"Did you eat breakfast?" Iruka asked, Sakura as he began pulling food out of the bag.

"Um, no I was in a hurry," she explained, deciding not to mention the fact that she was in fact on diet so she had skipped breakfast all together.

"You can eat with us then while you skim over that," he said, fixing her some food. "That's a short overview; look over it first and then I'll start working with you. Eat first of course," he said.

As the three ate, Sakura looked over at Naruto curiously. "How much sign language do you know?" she asked him.

Naruto thought for a minute before shrugging and turning to Iruka. "He's learned quite a bit actually. We've been teaching him for the past week or so; normally this isn't something you would cram and learn so quickly, but the fact that he has to use it helps him. He understands the basics of sign order and such, so right now we're beefing up his vocabulary. At final count last night he knew almost two hundred signs," Iruka explained.

"He wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with just anybody on the street because we've been selective with the order we've been teaching him words in; we had to practice all morning when I realized Kakashi was going to ask you to introduce yourselves, because those were signs that we hadn't taught him yet," he added.

"Will I be learning in the same order as him?" Sakura asked, gaining a nod from Iruka.

"Right now the first things we have to teach you and Sasuke is how to understand Naruto. Neither of you have to use sign language to speak back to him, but if you can't understand him your teamwork will suffer because one of you will essentially be unable to be anything more than a bystander. We want to build Naruto's lexicon up to at least five hundred signs before you start missions; after that Kakashi will probably teach the three of you lip reading, which you can use to extend conversations with Naruto past what he knows how to sign," Iruka told her.

After breakfast, Sakura turned to the book Iruka had given her and spent the rest of the morning reading it and asking Iruka questions. Iruka and Naruto spent the morning going over new signs and occasionally holding conversations to make sure that Naruto was putting everything together correctly. Sandaime brought them lunch at about noon. Naruto eagerly showed him everything he had learned that morning and Sandaime spent some time testing him and conversing with him using signs.

While watching them, Sakura realized for the first time that Sandaime, Iruka, and Kakashi all seemed to know sign language perfectly. She sat up a bit and turned to Iruka where he was watching Naruto describe a scene in the comic Sandaime had given him. "Iruka-sensei, where did you learn sign language?" she asked, catching Iruka slightly off guard and ending Naruto and Sandaime's conversation as they turned to look at her. She was slightly abashed at the sudden onslaught of attention and spoke to retract her question, "I'm sorry if it's too personal-"

"It's not that," Iruka responded, smiling at her. "I just never thought to explain it. My mother and grandmother were both deaf, well technically my grandmother was only partially, but she still primarily used sign language unless she was forced to do otherwise. I learned it from them," he explained.

"Hokage-sama, do you mind if I ask how you learned it?" she said.

"I learned it shortly after I became Hokage. It was simply part of the job at the time," he explained.

Naruto tugged at Iruka's sleeve and signed 'Pervert?'

"You'll have to ask him," Iruka told him.

Sandaime was called away soon after when his aides came to warn him that his grandson was looking for him. After lunch they went back to work, until Kakashi and Sasuke returned near dusk. "That was a long day," Iruka remarked as the two returned.

Sasuke sank into one of the chairs and glared up at Kakashi who smiled back at Iruka. "Doesn't matter I've learned everything I needed to," Kakashi retorted.

Iruka rolled his eyes and turned to watch Naruto as he attempted to gain Kakashi's attention. Kakashi, who had chosen to blatantly ignore Naruto just for the heck of it, learned never to do so again when Naruto lashed out and kicked him far closer to the groin than Kakashi was able to continue ignoring. He looked down at Naruto, but refrained from yelling at him when Naruto signed 'I have a question.'

"What?" he asked.

Naruto thought for a moment and attempted to ask it twice before giving up and turning to Sakura. "Oh! We wanted to know how you learned sign language," Sakura said for him.

Kakashi looked at them for a moment before his eye turned up in amusement and leaned in conspiratorially. "That is a secret," he told them happily before turning around and heading to the door. "I trust the two of you can find this room by now. Meet me here tomorrow morning; Sakura make sure you eat breakfast," he ordered as he left.

"A secret?" Sakura asked no one in particular.

"Ignore him for now. He'll tell you eventually," Iruka assured her. He turned to Sasuke and asked, "Have you eaten dinner yet?" Sasuke only shook his head no. "Did he stop long enough to let you eat lunch?" he asked, gaining another negative from Sasuke. "Do you want to rest here for a bit while I go get dinner for all of us?" he asked. Sasuke hesitated momentarily, but Iruka was pleased by the tired nod he got from him. "What about you Sakura?" he asked turning to her.

"I guess I can. My dad's not supposed to be back from his mission yet," she answered.

"I'll be back in a bit then," he said, leaving the three teens in silence.

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

Sakura arrived at the administration building the next morning with a nervous flutter in her stomach; maybe she should have ignored her Sensei's instructions and skipped breakfast. Sasuke had looked exhausted when he returned from testing the night before. He had been the head of their class in everything. Her test scores had been perfect, but she wasn't stupid, her test scores weren't likely to help her much with this testing.

There was also the problem of Kakashi-sensei. She knew nothing about him and doubted that Naruto or Sasuke-kun knew much more. She didn't know what he expected her to be able to do and unfortunately she knew that she was far below other kunoichi of her rank when it came to physical skills. Sakura didn't even want to think about how far below Naruto and Sasuke-kun she was.

She absentmindedly waved to the Hokage's aides as she turned down the small hallway that led to Naruto's room. She reached up to knock when Iruka opened the door and looked down at her in surprise, mirroring her own. "Ah, sorry Sakura, go on in," he said stepping out of the way to allow her in. "I'll be back in a few minutes; please behave," he said, stepping out.

Sakura looked around the room in confusion before she spotted Naruto and Sasuke glaring at each other. "Naruto what did you do to Sasuke-kun?" she asked.

Naruto gaped her for a moment before signing something that she didn't understand. "I don't know what that means," she admitted to him. Naruto's face fell slightly and he turned away to scowl at the window. She shrugged at his behavior and took a seat next to Sasuke to wait for Kakashi to arrive.

When Iruka returned fifteen minutes later, Kakashi had yet to arrive and all three Genin were beginning to fidget. "He's not here yet?" he asked with a sigh.

Sakura was about to answer when Kakashi appeared in the doorway behind Iruka. "Who's not here?" He asked, causing Iruka to swirl around to face him.

"Never mind," Iruka growled at Kakashi's infuriating nonchalance.

"Well then, Sakura why don't you come with me? I'll leave Naruto and Sasuke to you," Kakashi responded happily, beckoning for Sakura to follow him out of the room. She nervously stood up and waved to the others as she walked out and silently followed Kakashi out of the administration building and through the streets. When they reached one of the smaller training fields, Kakashi stopped and turned around to look at her. "First things first, do one hundred sit ups and one hundred push ups," he ordered, pulling out his book.

Sakura nodded and complied quickly. These exercises had typical in the academy so she wasn't overly worried about her performance on them. She finished several minutes later and was pleased to note that she hadn't felt too much strain. "Alright then, start laps around this area. I'll tell you when to stop," he said.

Once again she nodded and complied. After about twenty laps, which she judged to be about four kilometers, she was a bit winded, but she continued on as Kakashi glanced lazily between her figure and his book. Ten more laps and her pace had slowed significantly. Every time she passed Kakashi and he didn't stop her she glared at him but continued on. Finally as she was struggling to finish her fiftieth lap, Kakashi called out to her and beckoned her over. "Good work," he told her, as she stood in front him. "You're a little weaker than I would have expected, but I was told by Iruka that kunoichi around your age have been shunting physical training in the academy so we'll just have to work you a little harder. Take a short break then we'll move on," he told her.

Sakura happily slumped down on the ground and leaned over to catch her breath. She swayed slightly as the wind picked up and a dizzy spell passed over her, but she shook her head and ignored it. After several minutes of silence, she looked up to ask her sensei a question only to find him not standing in front of her. "Kakashi-sensei?" she said, as she stood up and looked around the suddenly barren training area. "Where did you go?"

"Sakura," she heard someone say off to her right, "over here."

"Kakashi-sensei, what?" she began to ask before being cut off.

"Sa…Sa-ku-ra," the voice said weakly. It wasn't Kakashi's voice, but she knew it was one she recognized from somewhere. "Sakura," it repeated, slightly more clearly than the previous times.

Her eyes widened in recognition and she sped up as she walked towards the source of the voice. "Sasuke-kun, what are you doing out here? Did you come to see how my test was going?" she asked sweetly as she neared her dear Sasuke-kun.

"Sa-kura…help me," she heard Sasuke plead as she stopped dead in her tracks. "Help," Sasuke repeated faintly, jump starting Sakura's actions as she sprinted the last few meters to his location. She froze on the spot when she saw leaning haphazardly against the trunk of a tree as if it was the only thing holding him up, which it probably was, considering the massive amounts of kunai and shuriken piercing him from the waist up. She swayed unsteadily on her feet as she watched him reach toward her and struggle to stand.

"What?" she whimpered in confusion as she took a step towards him.

"Help," he said one final time before his eyes slid shut and his body slid to the ground.

"Sasuke-kun?" she whimpered again, kneeling down next to him and reaching forward. She reached towards his neck and checked for a pulse to find it already gone. "Sasuke-kun?" she repeated, nudging him slightly as she began to pull the weapons out of him tossing him behind her. "Sasuke-kun? Sasuke please wake up! SASUKE!" she said as voice grew steadier and louder with each word. When the boy in front of her failed to respond, she began shaking and her hands fell away from the remaining weapons as she collapsed over him sobbing.

She wasn't sure how long she had been crying when she suddenly felt an a hand in her hair. She relaxed slightly at the comforting touch, until the hand tightened its grasp and yanked her backwards away from Sasuke. Sakura screamed and attempted to steady herself so that she could get a glimpse back at her attacker, but a kunai was placed at Sakura's throat prohibiting her from moving her head.

"Don't move or we'll kill the other boy too," a gruff voice said. She heard the sound of something being dragged along the ground, and strained her eyes to the right only to see Naruto's unconscious form lying on the ground. She whimpered and tried to stop her mind from going into overdrive so that she could find a way out of the situation. None of it made sense. Sasuke and Naruto were supposed to be with Iruka-sensei; neither of them should have come down for any reason. If the Hokage had needed Kakashi-sensei, then he would have sent one of his aides. Kakashi-sensei wouldn't have left her without telling her; she knew the man was weird, but he couldn't be that weird or that rude. She calmed almost immediately as she came to a final conclusion: "This is still part of the test."

"Shut up girl," the person behind her said, yanking roughly on her hair.

She quieted but kept up her internal dialogue as she tried to figure out what this had to do with the test and how to pass it. Had Kakashi-sensei called Naruto and Sasuke down here and faked their current states to prove something to her? Were they some type of special clones? Or others, using henge? What could possibly be doing all of – her thoughts quieted as she came to her second conclusion: genjutsu. She slowly brought her hands together in the tiger sign and whispered, "Kai." The wind picked up slightly and whirlwind of leaves surrounded her.

As the leaves faded away, the sound of clapping reached her ears. Sakura turned her head to look for the source, but she felt something tug at her hair. She fought not to begin panicking again, and slowly reached back to see what her hair was caught in. She relaxed slightly when she felt bark and not skin. She fiddled around for a bit as she tried to loosen her hair, but she had no luck.

"Ah, sorry about that," Kakashi said, landing in front of her. "Give me a moment and I'll have you loose."

She felt a couple of tugs on her hair as he worked to get it loose, but five minutes later he had no luck either. "Hmm…I guess you struggled a bit more than it seemed like; either that or I let the branch get too tight, but that's not likely," Kakashi muttered, earning himself a glare from Sakura. "Well, there's really nothing else to do," he said pulling out a kunai.

Sakura panicked slightly when she saw him reach behind her with a kunai. "Wait what are you-" her sentence dropped off when felt a final tug on her hair and then something soft landed on her arm. She glanced down cautiously and saw locks of pink hair scattered about on the ground. "You cut my hair! I was growing that out for Sasuke-kun and you-" her rant was cut short when Kakashi squatted down in front of her and placed a hand over her mouth.

"You think about Sasuke too much. He's your main weakness at the moment and it's one that is very easy to exploit. I'm not saying that it's wrong to care, but you center everything you do on Sasuke. You don't train enough and you diet too much because you want a specific body type. You dress, act, and look not only impractically, but contrary to the way you were taught to act as a kunoichi. Sasuke is now your teammate; I won't tolerate you favoring one teammate over the other. I also won't tolerate you allowing yourself to be distracted by him. Think about that instead of your hair; it would have gotten you killed one day anyways," Kakashi stated bluntly, shocking Sakura.

She sat quietly even after he had removed his hand and stood up. Kakashi finally accepted her silence as understanding and reached down to help her stand up. She rose shakily and he led back towards the training field. "Good job with the genjutsu; Iruka mentioned you might find your knack in that area and I'd say it's worth a shot. You're Haruno Sanzo's daughter, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Sakura replied, turning to him with curious gaze.

Kakashi eyed her for a moment before continuing. "I think the Hokage said he would be back from his mission tomorrow. When you see him tomorrow night, ask him to teach you Ikko Akechi," Kakashi told her.

"I've never heard of that," Sakura informed.

"Don't worry; he'll know what it is," Kakashi promised as they left the training grounds and headed for the administration building.

When they reached the administration building, Sakura caught a number of eyes with her uneven haircut, which she ignored in favor of glaring at Kakashi's back as he hummed and continued to read his book. He walked straight into Naruto room without looking, but Sakura hesitated at the door. After taking a deep breath she stepped up behind Kakashi and noticed that Iruka was occupied explaining something to Sasuke.

Naruto was the first to notice their entrance and when he noticed the state of Sakura's hair his jaw dropped. He reached over and nudged Iruka's shoulder several times until Iruka finally looked up. He was about to reprimand Naruto when he also caught sight of Sakura's hair. "Kakashi, what did you do?" he bit out, glaring at the older man.

"Ah, I accidentally got her hair tangled in tree branch so I had to cut it off," he explained cheerily, taking a seat.

"Wouldn't it have been easier to cut off the branch and work from there?" Iruka asked.

Sakura's eyes widened when she realized he was right and she turned to look at Kakashi with teary eyes. "Hmm…I never thought of that," Kakashi muttered, before shrugging.

Sakura fought the urge not whimper and instead focused her energy on glaring at Kakashi as hard as possible. Iruka stood up and walked over to her. "Come one, I'll take you to get it at least cut properly. Kakashi don't leave this room," he warned as he escorted Sakura out of the room. As they were walking past the Hokage's office, Sandaime stepped out and lightly closed the door muffling the childish shouting from inside. He turned and began to walk away lightly, and Sakura had to fight the urge to giggle when she realized he was tip-toeing. "Hokage-sama?" Iruka called out lightly.

Sandaime turned around in surprised and brought a finger to his mouth before beckoning for them to catch up. "Konohamaru is throwing another fit," he explained as they continued down the hallway.

"Konohamaru?" Sakura said.

"My grandson, he enjoys challenging me to fights believing he'll become Hokage if he beats," Sandaime explained before stopping in his tracks and doing a double take of Sakura's hair.

"What did Kakashi do?" he asked after a moment.

Sakura giggled at his exasperated tone. "He cut it off when it got stuck in a tree branch. I'm taking her to get it fixed and to get dinner for all of us," Iruka explained.

"Hmm…if you'd like we can stop by the Jounin lounge. If Anko's in she could fix it up rather quickly, that way you wouldn't have to walk through the village," Sandaime offered.

"Really?" Sakura asked hopefully, the walk back from the training field had been bad enough. If she went out in the village again there was chance that someone who knew her might see her.

"Of course," Sandaime promised, patting her on the head.

"Would it be a problem if I leave her with you then? That way I could go get food while she's getting her hair fixed and get back a bit earlier," Iruka suggested.

"Not at all," Sandaime replied.

"Do you have any preferences for dinner? If I can get someone to say something other than ramen it'll give me another reason to not give it to Naruto," Iruka said.

"Umm…anything's fine really," Sakura said, when Iruka looked slightly crestfallen she added, "but sushi's always good."

"Sushi it is then," Iruka said happily, "I wonder if Naruto's ever tried it before. Anyways, I'll see you when I get back; just head up to Naruto's room when you're finished."

Sakura blinked as Iruka walked away, but Sandaime's hand on her shoulder. He smiled at her and led her down the hallway. After going down two floors, the Sandaime stopped outside of a pair of double doors and peaked through the window. "Excellent, she's still here and the room isn't too full," he said turning to Sakura with a smile. He opened the door and stepped in greeting everyone in the room. Sakura followed slowly, taking in her surroundings as she followed Sandaime in the direction of a young woman happily munching on dango.

She looked up in surprise when she saw Sandaime approaching and quickly finished chewing before greeting him, "Good evening, Hokage-sama."

"To you as well," he returned, before reaching back and pulling Sakura forward slightly. "I was wondering if you could do us a little a favor; Sakura's hair was sheered off in an accident during training and I was wondering if you had the time to fix it up a bit," Sandaime explained.

"Sheered off?" Anko asked, standing up and reaching out to finger the edges. She pulled a stray twig off and Sakura eyed it in disgust, causing Anko to smirk at her. "Well, have a seat and I'll fix it up a bit." Sakura nodded and complied quickly.

"So how much hair did you lose?" Anko asked, stepping behind Sakura and pulling out a kunai.

"About eight inches," Sakura answered ruefully.

Anko whistled in response, catching the attention of the two other Jounin in the room who walked over curiously. "You giving out free hair cuts now?" one of them asked through the toothpick in his mouth.

"Will you give you one to Gai and that student of his if we drag them in here? We'll even tie them up and knock them out if that'll make it easier for you," a second Jounin, with scar on his left cheek, suggested.

"Not even my expertise would be able to fix what they've done to themselves," Anko muttered, causing all three adults to chuckle.

"Now, now," Sandaime said as his chuckles died down, "individuality is encouraged among my shinobi and that occasionally leads to oddity. I recall the time you yellow polka dot bikini top and a purple miniskirt for a month."

"Some of my best days," Anko replied wistfully.

"I'd agree," the scarred man added just as wistfully.

"Now that Naruto kid, he's got good taste too. Where's he been lately anyways? The village is too quiet without his pranks," Anko stated, dropping the lock of hair she had been trimming and turning to look at Sandaime.

"Naruto's recovering from his run in with Mizuki; he'll be up and about in a few weeks time, I believe," Sandaime answered.

"That long?" Anko sighed, turning back to Sakura's hair. None of them had noticed her slight stiffening when Naruto had been brought up; at least the question had been directed at Sandaime and not at her.

"So what exactly happened here anyways," the scarred man asked, pulling up a chair and sitting down in front of Sakura.

"Lost eight inches during training," Anko answered for her.

"How? I mean I know I tried to cut off my sister's hair a couple of times when I was younger, but I never actually succeeded," he retorted.

"Raidou, I pity your sister. How did it happen?" Anko asked, stepping around to face Sakura.

For the first time Sakura noticed that the woman had been using a kunai and turned to her in surprise. "You've been cutting my hair with a kunai this whole time?"

"Trust me sweetheart, there isn't anything I can't do with a kunai," she replied with a wink. "Obviously whoever did this used a kunai as well, but they weren't nearly as talented as me."

"My sensei cut it off when it got caught in a tree branch," Sakura answered sheepishly.

"How the hell did you get your hair caught in a tree branch?" Anko answered, stopping to stair at her.

"Well it wasn't my fault. My sensei caught me in a genjutsu," Sakura answered.

"What genjutsu was he using?" Sandaime asked curiously.

"I don't know the name of it; it took me a while to get out of it, and when I did I realized that what I had thought was a hand holding my hair was actually a branch," she answered.

"You got out of it yourself?" Raidou asked, "Did you cancel it?"

"Yeah, once I realized it was a genjutsu I just used the dispel technique," Sakura said.

"Impressive. You a Genin?" the one with the toothpick asked.

"Of course she is; you're in the latest batch of them, aren't you?" Anko said.

"Yeah," Sakura assented.

"Who's your sensei?" Raidou asked, "Kurenai and Asuma are the only two I know who passed their teams."

"She's one of Kakashi's," Sandaime responded grinning.

All three Jounin froze immediately before turning to look at Sandaime in surprise. "You have to joking; he actually passed a team?" Anko said. "He's failed, what, ten of them already."

"Ten?" Sakura nearly shouted, in surprise.

"It wasn't ten," Sandaime assured her, "it was nine. Technically we didn't give him a choice this time. Her teammate is Uchiha Sasuke and the council wanted him to be taught by Kakashi. Their third teammate is injured at the moment, and they were worried about how that would affect the outcome of his test. They decided unanimously to give the team an automatic pass," Sandaime explained.

"Lucky duck," Anko claimed, moving back around Sakura to finish cutting her hair.

"So who's the third teammate? I haven't heard of any kids with injuries lately," the one with a toothpick asked.

"He already told us," Anko stated.

"No he didn't. He said that one of her teammates is the Uchiha kid, but he didn't give a name for the third one," he retorted.

"Yes he did Genma; you just aren't paying attention," she said, causing Sandaime to chuckle.

"I should have known you'd figure that out," he said smiling at her.

"Was I not supposed to?" Anko asked.

"We are keeping the situation quiet for the time being," Sandaime informed.

"Gotcha, I'll keep my mouth shut," Anko promised.

"Actually, even thought we don't have a clue what they're talking about, we probably shouldn't talk about the auto-pass, should we?" Raidou said.

"It would help," Sandaime commented.

"Right-o, we'll keep are mouths shut and you can run along home; I'm finished. If you get a chance, deck Kakashi one for me. Tell him if he ever cuts a girl's hair again, I'll show him another use I have for kunai," Anko said, patting Sakura on the head.

Sakura smiled at her and nodded. "I'll tell him. And thanks for the haircut," she added with a nod.

"Why don't you head back on up to meet Kakashi? Tell him I'll stop by to see him later," Sandaime said.

Sakura nodded and waved good bye as she left the room and headed upstairs to Naruto's room. She entered happily and, completely ignoring the curious glances that her teammates gave her, took her time inspecting her new haircut in the mirror. When she turned around she looked at Kakashi and said, "He's not back yet?"

"I thought he was with you," Kakashi responded in confusion.

"He went out to get the food. Hokage-sama offered to have one of the Jounin downstairs cut my hair. She wanted me to tell you that if you ever cut a girls hair again, she'll show you another use she has for kunai," Sakura repeated happily, sitting down next to Sasuke.

Naruto snickered as Kakashi scowled at Sakura. "Well at least, Iruka being gone gives me the chance to speak with the three of you," he finally said, standing up and turning to face them.

"There are several things I want to make clear, before we really get started tomorrow. I've evaluated each of you, and I'm sorry to say that I'm not as impressed with you as the council was. I've never passed a team before and, as much as Sandaime assured me I would like the three of you, I still have reservations. However, I am willing to put those reservations aside, on the condition that you listen to me and Iruka regardless of what we say. Some of what we teach you and say to you may go against what you have already learned or may go against your personal beliefs. I want your promise that you will think over what we tell you, that includes what I told each of you after I finished testing you. Do we have an agreement?" Kakashi asked, looking at each of his surprisingly sober students. After a moment, he gained a reluctant nod from each of them.

A moment later Iruka popped in the door. "Anybody hungry?" he asked with a smile.

* * *

AR: Iruka's speech at the beginning was inspired by the one in the manga so there are some similarities. Also, I obviously didn't make up the majority of the "Getting to Know You" session that the team had after the Hokage left; except for a few changes, it came from the official Shonen Jump translation. I also couldn't resist using Sakura's run in with genjutsu. Hope you enjoyed it!

As Sandaime and Iruka explained Naruto uses the signs for certain words as nicknames for individuals so that he doesn't have to spell out their names. If the comparison between 'Sasuke' and 'Bastard' is wrong, I'm sorry; I don't know sign language (ASL or JSL) so I'm guessing on a lot of things that aren't mechanics that I can read about. So far the nicknames are:

Iruka – Sensei

Kakashi – Pervert

Sandaime – Old Man

Sasuke – Bastard

Sakura – Blossom…this chapter had a lot of her in it, didn't it?

As other characters become more prominent their nicknames will get listed as well.

Jutsu for this chapter:

Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu - _Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique _– this is the genjutsu that Kakashi uses on Sakura

Henge no Jutsu – _Transformation Technique_

Kai – _Dispel _

Ikko Akechi – _First Beat of the War Drum, Bloody Earth_

Review Responses:

(This is the last chapter that I'll respond individually to reviewers, from now on I'll use the response link to respond to you; if anyone brings up something I think others will benefit from I'll add it in either my opening or closing Author's Rants)

**_kawaiineziumi,_****_Fasor,_** **_HanaTenshiHimeko,_** **_KunochiDreamer,_****_SawCyn-WroteSin,_** **_VoidArts,_** **_RaitenKitsune_** Thanks! Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well and here's to hoping the next update doesn't take this long!

**_Tombadgerlock_**heh, nope I think I'll avoid any really mean teasing. As horrible as people make it in fics, their relationship in the manga isn't really that bad aside from a few jabs; I'm trying to keep it closer to that.

**_Azamiko_** actually, you can complain, especially when I take two and a half months to update. I hope you and all my other readers don't have to wait this long again. I think I'm finally over whatever funk kept me from writing. And yes, silent Naruto does strike me as being adorable.

**_Miss Selarne_** I swear I didn't forget. It's just that while I realize in the anime he only has like three facial expressions, I always picture him as showing just about everything in that one eye we see and smirks are very visible in the eyes of most people. I figure since Kakashi was smirking in promise of future pain for Naruto, he'd let Naruto see the smirk, so…hope that sort of explains it.

**_Pale Rider _**I have actually read a few chapters of _Hush_ and I don't think this is going to overlap too much; at least that was the feeling I got from the first few chapters. That was a really well written story; I just didn't like the fact that he wanted revenge. Naruto doesn't strike me as a vengeful person, at least not if he's the one who was harmed, so I'm going to avoid that as one of his traits. Enjoy!

**_Miako_** thanks! Um… I was just wondering if you could tell me what you meant by "this kinda fic". I'm kinda curious as to how people see my fics, like what genre they should fit in, others that they're similar to, and stuff like that. It would really help me figure out how _Juniper_ is being viewed. Thanks and enjoy!


	5. Training I

AR: This is only half of the chapter. School's getting in the way, so I figured I'd give you guys this and the rest of it'll come later. Enjoy, hopefully I'll eventually be able to make the chapters longer, but until I can write more than ten pages in less than a month and a half, I'll give them to you in parts.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language; I'll probably use more than one form of sign language but I'll denote that in the sentence, it will still be within single quotes ''.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

If anything else comes up I'll tell you when we get there. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Training**

Naruto woke up on the first day of real training with his team happy to be out of the cramped room by Sandaime's office and in a real bedroom. He was even more even more pleased when Iruka knocked on the door and peeked in. "I was just checking to make sure you were up," he said with a smile. "Do you want breakfast?" he asked, gaining an eager nod from Naruto. "Go ahead and get dressed, then come downstairs."

The moment Iruka disappeared, Naruto hopped out of bed and quickly got dressed; he adjusted his forehead protector around his neck like Iruka had shown him to cover the scars that still refused to fade. He skidded into the kitchen and blinked when he realized that he and Iruka weren't alone. 'Pervert' he signed, sitting down next to Kakashi.

"Nice to see you too," Kakashi retorted, ruffling Naruto's hair.

'Why are you here?' Naruto asked.

"I was just discussing your training regimen with Iruka," Kakashi told him.

'What are we doing today?" Naruto asked before he began eating.

"Training," Kakashi answered, gaining a glare from Naruto.

'No missions?' Naruto asked when he had finished eating.

"Naruto we told you three days ago that you would only be completing the minimum amount of necessary missions. You won't start them for a while yet," Iruka told him.

Naruto scowled and stood up. "You remember where we're meeting?" Kakashi asked, gaining a nod from Naruto. "You better hurry up then if you want to get there before me," he said, looking at Naruto nonchalantly.

Naruto's eyes widened and he glanced up at the clock before rushing out of the kitchen. When the front door slammed a moment later, Iruka turned to Kakashi with a frown. "They don't meet for another ten minutes and I know for a fact that you won't show up for at least another hour," he accused.

Kakashi smirked and shrugged. "It'll give them the chance to talk before I arrive," he said.

"Neither Sakura or Sasuke know enough sign language to fully hold a conversation with Naruto," Iruka countered.

"They'll figure out something," Kakashi said. He smirked at Iruka's answering growl.

On a bridge at the edge of town, two teenagers sat impatiently waiting for their third member and sensei. They looked up when the sound of running reached their ears and saw the orange blur that was their third teammate. "You were almost late," Sakura stated, frowning at him.

Naruto grinned sheepishly and opened his mouth before quickly shutting it. He repeated the process several more times before he lifted his hands. Both of his teammates watched his hands for the signs that never came. They redirected their gazes to his face when his hands stilled and fell back to his sides. He scowled at them and jumped up to sit on the bridge's railing.

Sakura fidgeted after several minutes of silence. It was never quiet when Naruto was around; he had always made a lot of noise, even during class. She hadn't noticed the silence while they were working in the administration building because Iruka had been there and the tower had been lively enough. Sitting on the bridge, the silence from her two teammates was growing oppressive, but she couldn't bring herself to break it. She bit her lip lightly and turned to Sasuke before remembering Kakashi's warning about her attention to the boy.

Sakura didn't think Kakashi had meant that she couldn't talk to him, but he probably wouldn't appreciate it if he showed up and found her ignoring Naruto in favor of conversing with Sasuke. Sakura finally put her brain to work and decided that Naruto was the more likely of her two teammates to actually respond, as long as she kept the conversation on areas he could respond to. She hoped Sasuke would join in, or at least pay attention, if she could make the conversation interesting enough.

As she continued thinking about conversation topics, she suddenly remembered the Sandaime's comment about Mizuki-sensei the day before. She glanced at Naruto cautiously, wondering if he would be able to answer. It probably would have been a lot easier if Iruka would allow Naruto to write, but he claimed that Naruto would never learn if he constantly relied on that. "Naruto," Sakura began, catching both of her teammates' attention. "Do you know what happened to Mizuki-sensei? He wasn't at the academy the day of orientation and I haven't seen him since graduation day," she said. Technically it wasn't a lie, she hadn't seen him.

Naruto stiffened, but Sakura couldn't read his face well enough to tell whether or not he was thinking about how to explain or trying to ignore the topic. After several moments, he hesitantly signed his answer; however, Sakura only recognized 'Fight'.

"He got into a fight?" she asked, trying to clarify.

Naruto nodded and signed, 'With Sensei and me.'

"When?" Sakura asked.

'Ten days ago,' Naruto answered.

"That means it was the day of graduation," Sasuke interrupted.

"You weren't really failed because of a bias, were you," Sakura stated.

Naruto hesitated slightly before finally shaking his head.

"Then how do they expect you to function on a team with us?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto snarled and turned towards Sasuke, but Kakashi's hand on his shoulder prevented him from lunging at the dark haired boy. "That's enough," Kakashi stated. "Naruto has proven himself more than capable of handling the role of Genin and is the most suitable match for the two of you."

"How so if he didn't pass the Genin Exam; if there wasn't a biased sensei holding him back then it means he doesn't have the skills," Sasuke retorted.

Kakashi sighed and turned towards him. "Naruto failed the Genin exam because of his Bunshin no Jutsu; he has since learned another jutsu that can replace it," he explained. "If you must know all three of you are deficient in some areas, but those will be dealt with during training. Speaking of which, we need to start." Kakashi left the three gaping at him and motioned for them to follow as he walked off. He had wanted to give them the bell test (slightly modified of course), but he supposed he should give them a bit more time to accommodate Naruto's disability. On the off chance that they managed to figure out the real goal of the test, they wouldn't necessarily be able to communicate well enough to do anything.

Three rather put out Genin followed their sensei as he continued to lead them through the woods. Sakura frowned as she watched Kakashi nonchalantly walk with his head in his book. He didn't need to remind them repeatedly that he didn't want to be teaching them. She wasn't sure if his attitude towards them was just his personality or if it was part of increased training that Sandaime had mentioned. She supposed constantly hearing about their faults was supposed to encourage them to look into them on their own and work to improve them. Sakura vaguely wondered if Ino and the others were hearing the same things from their sensei; of course that would all depend on whether or not Ino had passed since she hadn't actually had the chance to talk to anyone since orientation.

"We're here," Kakashi said, stopping short and turning to face them. Sakura glanced around the large clearing they were in before turning back to Kakashi. "We're going to take things lightly for today, so start by running a few laps. This type of physical training should be stuff you do on your own, but until I'm satisfied that you will I'll oversee it."

The three glanced at each other before taking off. Kakashi fought the urge not to giggle as the team's dynamics quickly showed themselves through such a simple exercise. Sasuke quickly and easily took the lead, which wasn't surprising considering that his speed had been the best during individual testing. As he continued on with a steady pace, Naruto grew fed up with what Kakashi was sure Naruto saw as Sasuke's attitude – he'd ignore the fact that Naruto was probably right – and began picking up his own pace to match Sasuke's. As soon as the blond caught up to Sasuke, the older boy sped up his pace just slightly so that he could maintain his lead but not wear himself out too much. Naruto picked up his pace again and the two continued playing tag as they ran laps.

Sakura had of course fallen behind. She had initially tried to catch up with the two, but as they continued she was unable to keep up with them and maintain a steady pace. Kakashi wasn't sure if he was more disappointed that she wasn't keeping up with them or that she wasn't even trying to. Sakura seemed to have relegated herself rather early to just watching the other two compete. It wouldn't help team dynamics at all if the girl never tried to improve. She couldn't learn early to let them do all the hard work.

Kakashi stopped their running after only five laps of the clearing and called them back over to him. "Do some push and sit ups while I think of something else for you to do," he ordered, pulling his book out again. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Naruto once more turned it into a competition. Competition wasn't necessarily a bad thing; after all, he competed constantly with Gai. However, their competition wasn't as equal as his and Gai's; Sasuke was only interested in constantly showing Naruto up and probably wouldn't do well if Naruto ever beat him in anything. Unless Sasuke acknowledged Naruto, the rivalry that the Hokage had been hoping would be useful would be the exact opposite.

"Alright, that's enough of that," he finally said. Kakashi allowed the three enough time to stand up and stretch before beckoning for them to walk over towards the edge of the forest. "Normally I wouldn't start you on this so early, but I don't want to wear you out today. Watch first as I demonstrate," he said before turning to the nearest tree and easily walking up its trunk.

While standing on the lowest branch, he looked down into the surprised faces of his students. "During individual testing, I noticed that Sasuke and Naruto both struggled with controlling their chakra; well, Sakura did too, but not as much you two," he told them. He watched Naruto's reaction closely but confusion only briefly flickered across the boy's face; Kakashi could only hope that their talk the day of his testing had sunk in a bit. Of course while he was focusing on Naruto, he didn't miss the blush that graced Sakura's cheeks or the glare that Sasuke sent her way.

"Bettering your chakra control will make your jutsu better and more efficient," he told them. "For those of you with less chakra," he started, glancing at Sakura, "your stamina will be increased and you'll be able to last longer in fights. You'll also be able to work to increase your chakra stores. For those of you with too much chakra, learning better chakra control will make your jutsu more efficient because you won't waste chakra on them."

He dropped back down to the ground and took out three kunai before handing them to them. "You can use those to mark your progress," he said. "What you need to do is focus your chakra to your feet. You need just the right amount of chakra in order to stick to the tree and not damage it."

The three stared at him in confusion and he sighed. "Get started," he ordered.

Sakura was the first to move. She picked up the kunai and brought herself back up into a meditative stance. She closed her eyes and focused on gathering her chakra in her feet. After she was satisfied, she ran towards the tree hoping her momentum would help her get farther up the tree. Kakashi watched in amusement as Sakura made it up several meters before gracefully rebounding off the tree and landing back on the ground. She looked up at the mark she had made and scowled.

Sasuke scoffed at her attempt and began gathering his own chakra. He also took a running start just as Sakura began her second attempt. Sakura managed to put a meter between her new and old marks before once again gracefully rebounding. Sasuke was not so fortunate; he made it almost as high as Sakura's first mark before being repelled from the tree as he channeled too much chakra to his feet. He landed smoothly, but turned to glare at the mark he had managed to carve into the tree. He chanced a glance at Sakura's progress and noted the large improvement that she had made in only two runs. Sasuke scowled at his own mark and gathered chakra once again before running at the tree.

Naruto watched his two teammates in their first attempts and frowned slightly. "You better get started Naruto," Kakashi urged as he watched Sakura and Sasuke's continued attempts. Naruto steeled his determination and began concentrating on gathering his chakra. He charged towards the tree, but he barely made it four steps before he lost his footing and slipped off.

Kakashi fought the urge not to giggle as Naruto landed in a heap. He had managed to place a mark about two meters off the ground, but it was barely half as far as the other two had gotten with their first tries. Naruto righted himself and Kakashi had a feeling he would be blushing if the boy had been able to vocalize the curses that he could see dancing across his lips. Naruto glanced jealously at Sakura and Sasuke as they continued to progress upwards.

Sakura was sitting happily on a branch nearly five meters off the ground, waving to Kakashi. "This is easy," she called down to him.

"Then keep going until you can't mold chakra anymore," he told her. Naruto glanced at her, before quickly dusting himself off and focusing the chakra towards his feet again. He took off again, but every time he charged the tree he would barely add an inch to his preceding attempt before he would slip off.

After half an hour, Naruto stopped his attempts and glared at the tree in front of him. He sighed and glanced over at Sasuke only to realize that although the boy was making more progress than him his efforts were beginning to plateau. Sakura was still easily making it up the tree, but she was beginning to look a bit winded from the constant chakra usage. He heard giggling behind him and looked back to see Kakashi reading his perverted book. After a moment's hesitation, he pocketed his kunai and walked over to Kakashi. 'I need help,' he signed after he had managed to gain Kakashi's attention. He thought for a moment before adding, 'I can't go any farther.'

Kakashi looked up and examined the three trees, comparing Naruto's progress with Sakura and Sasuke's. Sakura had progressed by leaps and bounds compared to the other two, but she was showing far more weariness than the other two and looked like she could use a break. "Sakura needs a break; ask her for some tips," Kakashi suggested, looking back down at Naruto.

The blond looked up at him like he was stupid before finally signing, 'How?'

"Shouldn't she be able to understand that by now?" Kakashi asked. Naruto shook his head in response. "Hmm…we might have to change how they're learning things a bit," he pondered. "Sakura come over here and take a break," he said, catching the girl's attention. While she walked over, he turned back to Naruto and said, "Work for a bit longer and then I'll have her give you some hints." Naruto pouted and squinted up at him for a moment before walking away and beginning his exercises again.

Sakura made her way over to Kakashi as he dismissed Naruto; it really wasn't a surprise that Naruto had already tried to give up, especially considering the progress he had, or hadn't, made. He grumbled silently to himself and went back to work barely making it to his previous record before slipping again; he barely managed to reverse his fall in time to land on his feet. She shook her head and turned back to Kakashi as he coughed lightly to catch her attention. "Since you were so successful, I want you to help Naruto and Sasuke. None of you are leaving training until all three of you have reached the top of the tree and left the kunai there," he told her, smiling beneath his mask.

"What happened to not wanting us to wear ourselves out?" she asked.

He smiled down at her and chuckled. "I changed my mind. Rest up a bit and give them some pointers; then get back to work. You'll probably reach the top first anyways, but you can't leave until they have as well," Kakashi stated.

Sakura grumbled and walked back over. "Hold on a second Sasuke, Naruto," she said, stopping the two from charging at the trees.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked impatiently.

'Are you going to help us?' Naruto asked.

Sakura only caught one of the hand signs, but she nodded anyways. "Kakashi-sensei says we can't leave until all three of us make it to the top of the tree," she informed them.

Naruto's eyes widened and he turned to glare at Kakashi several meters away. He once again made a sign that Kakashi was sure Iruka hadn't taught the boy, not that he was paying attention anyways.

"Forget about him for now. The important thing is completing the exercises," Sakura said, forcing him to turn around and look at him. She pointed up at the three trees they had been climbing for the past half hour. "Each of these trees is about fifteen meters tall. I've been stopping at about ten meters because there's a convenient branch, but I can probably make the top in about ten minutes if I rest before I try again," she told them.

She directed Naruto to his tree. "You've made it up about six meters. That means that you aren't concentrating hard enough. There aren't any indentations on the tree like there are on Sasuke's; that means you're losing your footing because you aren't using enough chakra and Sasuke's using too much so the tree cracks under his feet and repels him off," she explained to Naruto.

Kakashi listened in as Sakura gave Naruto pointers on concentration. Sasuke was watching and listening intently, but he had a feeling that if either Naruto or Sakura turned around to look at him Sasuke would pretend to be ignoring them. He was also proud that Sakura had managed to hide criticism and pointers for Sasuke in her speech to Naruto; it was a smart move since he wasn't likely to listen to her if she had offered help directly to him. Hopefully Sasuke would be smart enough to shove his pride a bit deeper and take what she was saying seriously.

Over the next two hours, Kakashi saw a significant improvement in both Naruto and Sasuke's performance. Both had made it past ten meters so he was hoping they would be finished by nightfall. If they hadn't, hopefully Iruka would bring something to eat because he was starving and Kakashi was sure the three Genin were as well. Sakura was sitting under her tree resting and watching Naruto and Sasuke. Just like she had said, after resting for about ten minutes she had made it up to the top of the tree and lodged her kunai into the trunk before dropping onto the branch five meters below and then onto the ground.

Sakura's stomach began protesting around four in the afternoon and she glared at her teammates as they continued to fall short of their goal. An hour later, Naruto and Sasuke were severely winded and scratched up from their falls. Both were dusted with dirt from the number of times that they had landed roughly on the ground and kicked up dust. They were hungry, sweaty, and exhausted from working for so long. Naruto glared over at Sasuke and then at the trees. They had managed to stay nearly even ever since Sakura had offered them pointers earlier that afternoon. They each only had about a meter to go, but they had been stuck at the same spot for nearly half an hour and the deep grooves in the tree showed just how many times they had nicked the same area.

"Hurry up," Sakura whined as her stomach growled loudly. She had been practicing on and off ever since she had left her kunai at the top of the tree, but she hadn't been able to make it up more than two meters in the past half hour so she had given up and remained seated at the foot of the tree. Naruto and Sasuke looked like crap and she knew they were trying their hardest, but she was damn hungry and felt they should be trying even harder. She gaped as Sasuke took off and barely managed to make it to his previous height before his footing slipped and he dropped back down. He knelt panting and glaring at the tree as he tried to catch his breath enough for another run.

The pink haired Genin rolled her head to the side so that she could glance at Kakashi out of the corner of her eye. He was still reading his stupid book even though it looked like he hadn't turned a page the entire afternoon. Unless he had managed to sneak off to lunch at some point than there was no way that he had eaten all day either. Maybe his mission experience had prepared him for spending longer amounts of time without food, but just because he could last longer without food didn't mean he wasn't hungry after not eating all day.

Kakashi giggled as he felt Sakura glaring at him lazily. He glanced down at his watch; they were supposed to have headed back forty-five minutes before. Hopefully Iruka would get worried enough that he would come looking for Naruto; if he did that he could probably be swindled into bringing them dinner so that Naruto and Sasuke could take a break and regain enough strength to finish. The sound of stomping caught his attention, and he looked up to see Naruto taking his frustration out on the ground. He glanced up at the tree and wasn't surprised to see that both Naruto and Sasuke were losing height as they continued. By now they were so tired and hungry that they couldn't keep enough concentration on what they were doing.

"Calm down," Sasuke ordered, shocking the other two members of Team 7. "The more aggravated you get, the more difficult it's going to be for you to climb and the longer we'll have to stay here."

Naruto gaped at the other boy for a moment before straightening up. Before turning back to the tree, he nodded once at Sasuke and grinned apologetically at Sakura. Naruto closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment before charging at the tree almost in tandem with Sasuke. Kakashi lowered his book slightly, hoping this would be their last run. Sure enough, they managed slam their kunai into the tree trunks right before they lost their footing for the final time.

Kakashi slipped his book back into its pocket and disappeared. He reappeared a moment later to catch the two boys as the plummeted towards the ground. Kakashi landed a moment later and Sakura walked over towards him.

"Can they come to dinner now?" Iruka asked, walking towards them. Naruto's eyes lit up as Kakashi set him down and he looked up expectantly.

"Yeah, training is done for today," Kakashi is answered.

"Good," Iruka responded, turning to the three Genin. "Sakura, the Hokage wanted me to tell you that your father will be home tomorrow morning; his team was slightly delayed by their clients. If you and Sasuke would like, you're welcome to join us for dinner," he offered.

"Okay," Sakura answered eager to get anything – even ramen. Sasuke nodded after an encouraging glare from Kakashi.

"How generous of you, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi commented as they walked back towards the village.

"What do you mean? You're the one paying for your students," Iruka retorted with a straight face. Kakashi was left gaping as three giggling Genin followed Iruka. He vowed to make their next day of training even more hellish as they sat through dinner occasionally smirking at him.

XXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXX

The next morning Kakashi was so excited that he forgot to arrive late. He frowned as he walked up when he realized that at the rate he was going he would never get to annoy his Genin with the excuses he had spent the past week preparing just for them. He supposed he'd have the chance to do so the next week if all went according to plan; of course a lot of that depended on whether or not anyone could keep their mouths shut around Iruka.

Kakashi lazily waved for Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura to follow him as he walked away from the bridge. They entered the training ground and Kakashi glanced around cautiously to make sure that Iruka wasn't there to yell at him yet. Kotetsu and Izumo weren't exactly great at keeping their schemes quiet and he was fairly certain they were working with Iruka the entire morning in the mission office. When he was satisfied, Kakashi turned back to the Genin and told them, "Today I want to start by checking your inventory. It's very important that you start playing to your strengths, but you also need to be prepared for everything. As a team, you can divide what you need between the three of you, but I have a feeling that since you're just out of the academy all you've got is the basics and maybe one or two custom pieces. So, show me what you've got."

The three Genin unhooked their kunai and shuriken pouches and emptied their contents onto the ground for him to see. He was actually surprised to see all three pull a few more shuriken or kunai out of other places. Kakashi looked down at the supplies in front of him and fought the urge to snicker as he ordered them to run laps while he went over their caches. An hour later, he decided they had done enough and called them back over. He handed each of them a water bottle and told them have a seat.

Sakura and Sasuke gulped the water down thirstily and Kakashi fought the urge not to cackle. Naruto uncapped his own bottle and took a large drink before throwing the bottle away and gagging. He glared at Kakashi and tried to find the right signs to yell at him for the foul tasting water.

Kakashi smirked wondering how Naruto had managed to taste drug he had slipped into the water bottles. "Rule number 1 of shinobi – one Naruto should have already learned: Never trust someone just because they're your superior," Kakashi said as Sakura and Sasuke sank to the ground. He helped Naruto follow a moment later with a quick chop to the back the neck. The last thing Naruto heard was Kakashi chuckling.

* * *

AR: So, quick question: how do you guys feel about putting thoughts in Italics? I don't think it'll come in for another chapter or two, but I think it'll be useful when writing the Chuunin exams – especially for bringing out Inner Sakura. Are you guys okay with that or does it annoy you in other stories you've read?

If anyone thinks they mastered tree climbing too quickly let me explain a bit. The trees they were told to master were about fifteen meters, which is about equal to fifty feet; the ones they were climbing in Wave country were a lot higher. Both are also getting more pointers and encouragement. In Wave, Naruto was closer to unleashing the Kyuubi's chakra (which I don't think was entirely the result of a single incident) and Sasuke's Sharingan was starting to develop. I think both of those things were messing with their chakra a bit which made it more difficult for them to manage, and at the same time learning it helped them manage better when the Sharingan and Kyuubi came out in full. I hope that explains it bit.

Thanks to all my reviewers. Of course by now I don't remember who I responded to, but I hope I answered for those of you who had questions.

A few notes: I've had a few people ask this and I think I answered it in a review but I don't feel like going back and looking through to see if I did. The title _Juniper_ is a reference to the plant juniper as in the evergreen trees and shrubs. In flower language juniper means protection, which will be a running theme throughout the story.

The nicknames seemed to have caused a bit of confusion. The names that Naruto will use when referring to those closest to him are not supposed to be translations; they're nicknames that Naruto decided on because they are easier to sign. Technically Kakashi, Iruka, and Sakura are all nouns. However, it just isn't fun to use their real names so he changed them.

Kakashi: Pervert

Iruka: Sensei

Sakura: Blossom

Sasuke: Bastard

Sandaime: Old Man

I hope that makes a little more sense now.

Just a fun note. Someone asked about Team 6. While rereading the manga I noticed that Iruka's clipboard had been translated in the Shonen jump version. In that version, Team 3 does not exist; hence, there being only 5 teams before Team 7 was skipped over and the other teams named. It's funny, but until I read that I had never been able to figure out how there were 27 graduates and yet Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji were named Team 10.

**_Delphine Pryde,_****_Tombadgerlock,_** **_Hiei's Cute Girl,_****_HanaTenshiHimeko,_** **_RaitenKitsune,_****_Godsbane, Miss Selarne,_** **_wolvesm0on,_****_Azamiko,_** **_TheDragonOfDarkness001,_** **_anon,_****_Aaron Nowack,_** **_Mighty Bob,_** **_Meemei,_****_leeyiankun,_** **_strength-91-possibility-none,_****_Suki1, and Nomanic _**thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it.


	6. Training II

AR: Really sorry for the long wait. I can't promise consistent updates because I'm without my laptop and until I get it back writing is slow. However, the third and final part of Chapter five should be up by Thursday (January 25).

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language; I'll probably use more than one form of sign language but I'll denote that in the sentence, it will still be within single quotes ''.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Naruto so I'm not necessarily sure that telepathy is good thing around those two.

Of course in order to confuse all of you more, anything in **bold** is writing that isn't Naruto's. This'll probably be the only chapter I'll use this one in; if it comes up again I'll give you fair warning.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Training**

_- Day 1 - _

Sasuke woke up with a pounding headache and cursed Kakashi. He looked around and spotted Naruto and Sakura off to his right. He wasn't surprised when he checked for his weapons only to see that Kakashi hadn't returned them before dumping the three Genin wherever they were. Sasuke stood up and stretched, looking around before doing a double take. He took in a deep breath as he realized what he was seeing; he released the breath and walked over to his teammates, roughly shaking them awake.

Naruto shot up and looked at Sasuke frantically before his jaw dropped. "I don't know where we are," Sasuke told him.

"There's sand in my hair," Sakura growled, looking to her teammates for answers. "What did that stupid sensei do to us?"

'He drugged us,' Naruto signed, but neither Sakura nor Sasuke understood the signs. Naruto glared at the two before his face brightened slightly. He walked forward down the beach towards the wetter sand and wrote /drugged/.

Sakura saw what he was doing and walked forward to see what he had written. "He drugged us," Sakura repeated, making sure she had understood Naruto.

"It must have been in the water. He took all of our weapons as well," Sasuke told her.

Naruto shook his head frantically and pointed at a small pile of objects at the edge of the tree line about ten meters behind them. Sasuke turned around to look at what Naruto had seen and walked towards it while Sakura and Naruto followed. The three knelt down to inspect Kakashi's generous parting gift of three kunai, four scrolls, and three wristbands. Sakura scowled and picked up the kunai handing one each to Naruto and Sasuke before tucking her own into the waistband of her shorts. She glared at the scroll on the top of the pile; _that man has a sick sense of humor_, she thought as she read the bold note. **Read This First!** was printed on the outside of the scroll next to what she assumed was Kakashi's version of a smiley face.

"Might as well do what it says," Sasuke muttered.

Sakura reached forward and picked it up slowly unrolling it.

**Sakura,**

**Since I'm sure you're the one reading this, I'd like you to relay several bits of information to Naruto and Sasuke. **

**First: the island you are stranded on is one kilometer from shore. Do not attempt the swim as there are very vicious fish inhabiting the water surrounding you. The good news is that all of these fish are edible and a wonderful source of protein.**

**Second: the wristbands are to be worn at all times while the three of you are on the island. I will know if you take them off, and you will not like what happens if you do. They are for your safety as well because they will alert me if you die.**

**Third: the other three scrolls contain the following:**

**Further instruction in sign language for all three of you.**

**Training instructions for the three of you to follow during your stay on the island.**

**A surprise! Do not open this one for another two weeks. I would recommend finding a way to keep track of time, because if you open that scroll too early I'll know, and I won't be happy.**

**Last: have fun!**

Sakura glared at the scroll before dropping it and picking up the third scroll, marked **Instructions**, and opening it as well. While she did that, Naruto leaned forward and snatched up the three wristbands. He slipped one of them on his arm and handed the others to Sasuke and Sakura to do the same. Sasuke sneered at the band and placed it reluctantly around his own wrist.

"I hate him," Sakura stated, staring at the scroll in horror and then glancing to the wristband she had just slipped on. She tossed the scroll to Sasuke and began clawing at the wristband trying to pull it off. _That pervert! Telling us we couldn't take these things off was pointless if they were designed to suck up all our chakra and use that as glue so they can't be removed._

"Let me get this straight, these things bind our chakra so that we can't use jutsu while we're here," Sasuke stated.

"Apparently all of our training while we're on the island is taijutsu," Sakura agreed, looking back over at the scroll. "We're supposed to spar each other everyday, combined with laps and other exercises. I can't believe he wants us to run around this whole island so many times," she muttered.

Naruto glanced up at the sky and noticed that it was getting late in the afternoon. He startled Sakura and Sasuke when he tapped them on the shoulder, but once he had their attention he signed, 'What next?'

Sakura looked at him blankly, and his inquisitive look turned to a scowl. He couldn't understand how they still couldn't understand something that he knew Iruka had taught them. He jabbed his finger at the sun's position hoping they would figure out what was going on on their own. "It's getting late; we should make sure we're prepared for the night," Sasuke stated.

"Right, we'll need a fire, and food, and some type of shelter for at least tonight. We can work on something more permanent tomorrow. For tonight at least we should probably stay out here. Tomorrow or the day after we'll explore the island more fully, but we shouldn't wander into it. Right, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said.

Sasuke scowled at her change in demeanor but nodded in agreement. "One of us should look for food while the others get firewood and see if there's anything that can be used for a temporary shelter," he added. "The main problem will be starting the fire. With our jutsu disabled we'll have to start it by hand, but we don't have any matches, flint or other tools," Sasuke drifted off when Naruto tugged on his sleeve. The blond pointed to his kunai and held out his hand expectantly.

"Naruto, you already have one kunai, you don't need more than that," Sakura chided.

'Let me borrow your kunai and I'll see if Pervert was telling the truth about the fish,' Naruto signed in explanation.

"All I caught in that was 'kunai' and 'Pervert'," Sasuke told him.

Naruto turned to Sakura hopefully but she looked just as lost as Sasuke. "I recognized 'borrow' as well, but we already knew that you were asking for the kunai," she told him.

Naruto pouted pitifully as he tried to come up with another way to explain. He finally reached down for the scroll and pointed to the section where Kakashi mentioned the vicious yet edible fish and then back at the kunai. 'I need more than one,' he claimed, hoping they would understand.

"You're going to try and get some fish? So you want more than one kunai to use?" Sakura asked, hoping she had understood what he was trying to tell them. He nodded and Sakura let out a sigh of relief. "There's no harm in trying, but if they're vicious enough to keep us on the island then I don't know how you're going to catch any," she told him. "Sasuke and I will see if there's anything in the interior; we'll be back in thirty minutes. Don't leave the beach," she added as she and Sasuke handed him their kunai and walked off along the edge of the tree line.

When they came back about half an hour later, Naruto was sitting impatiently next to the scrolls. Three fish were speared on the kunai waiting to be cooked. "There wasn't anything that would really be useful in making a shelter, at least not anything that we could throw together before the sun sets tonight. We might find something tomorrow if we go farther in," Sakura told him as Sasuke set up about arranging the wood for a fire. He handed Naruto three thinner sticks to put the fish on before turning back to the wood and trying to figure out how to light the fire.

Naruto rolled his eyes and handed the sticks to Sakura. He removed the fish from the kunai and handed them to her as well. She looked at him in confusion but shrugged it off and took them. While Sakura prepared the fish for roasting, Naruto took off his jacket and turned it inside out. He caught Sasuke's attention as he began feeling around for something in the lining. When he had found what he was looking for he undid some of the stitches in the hem and reached inside the lining, before drawing out what looked like several matches, but the sticks were flimsy, which explained how they had stayed inside Naruto's coat and never broken or shown through.

Naruto walked to the edge of the beach and disappeared for a moment before coming back with a handful of grass and leaves. He placed the smaller kindling underneath the wood Sasuke had organized and struck the match on the bottom of his boot. He carefully guarded the flame as he led it to the kindling. Once that was lit, he walked back to the woods and grabbed more so that they could keep the fire going until the larger pieces lit. Once he had made the second trip, Sakura and Sasuke had caught on and they joined him at the edge of the tree line picking up dried kindling.

Once they had gathered a good amount, Sakura sat down by the small fire and continued feeding it as the larger pieces began to catch. "I doubt it was your own idea to sew matches into your jacket," Sasuke stated, too proud to actually ask for the information he wanted to know.

Naruto glared at him but answered anyways, 'Sensei did it.'

"We'll need more wood to last through the night. I'll stay here and make sure this lights properly and start the fish, but you two should find more. Make sure you don't go too far from the beach," Sakura told them.

Naruto grinned and nodded to her before following Sasuke back away from the beach. They had made several more trips and Sakura promised that if they made one more, the fish would be ready. Naruto happily walked away and Sasuke followed rolling his eyes. The dark haired boy walked back onto the beach several minutes later and added his load to the large pile for the night.

As he sat down on the other side of the fire, Sakura handed a fish to Sasuke and the two waited silently for their third member to come back. A moment later a crashing noise came from the trees behind them. Naruto broke away from the tree line and rushed towards them, repeatedly looking back at the woods he had just exited. He dropped onto the ground next to them and began frantically signing the same thing over and over again.

Sakura watched his behavior with growing alarm and finally pulled him over to the wet sand on the beach and told him to write it. /Monster/ Naruto wrote, glancing back towards the forest in alarm. "What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

He held up his kunai and showed her the trail of blood along one edge. "What did you do, trip and cut yourself on it?" Sasuke asked wryly, walking up close enough to see the blood. Naruto frantically shook his head and pointed at the message he had written for Sakura.

"Did you kill something out there?" Sakura asked.

Naruto shook his head again. 'I was attacked. It was huge, but I managed to hit its arm and it went away,' he told them.

Sakura watched intently and was happy that she could understand most of what he had said. "If it went away then it probably won't pursue you out here. You might have treaded on some animal's territory out there, so we'll be careful to avoid it tomorrow," she claimed.

Naruto gaped at her and watched in confusion as Sasuke and Sakura walked back to the fire and the food they had left there. "Come on Naruto, eat," Sakura called to him. Naruto glanced warily at the tree line and cautiously walked over to join them. He refused to sit with his back to the trees and shot the darkening area frantic glances every few minutes.

That night they slept huddled around the fire. At Naruto's insistence, which took him nearly half an hour to get across to Sasuke and Sakura, they kept a guard awake at all times. When Sakura was woken to take her shift at what was probably close to four or five, she grumbled and occasionally sent glares at Naruto's sleeping form. She stopped glaring when she realized that even asleep he didn't look like he was getting much more rest than her. In fact, if the coughing meant anything, Sakura was fairly sure that Naruto was getting sick. _Maybe he didn't dry off fast enough when he was finished fishing earlier_, she thought shrugging and turning back to put a bit more wood on the fire.

_- Day 2 - _

An hour later, the sky was beginning to grow light and Sakura was beginning to nod off. A loud popping noise shook her from her doze; Sakura jumped but quickly realized it was just the fire and was settling back in when she heard a sharp crack from her left. She spun around and tried to see inside the woods. Her breath hitched when she saw a large shadow dart through the trees and she stood up pulling out a kunai while taking a step closer to Sasuke. Naruto had begun coughing again behind her and she winced as a particularly harsh one escaped his lips. She glanced along the edge of the trees for as far as she could see, but there were no more signs of whatever had alerted her.

Sakura didn't notice that Naruto's coughing had stopped and was taken completely by surprise when the blond boy tapped her on the shoulder. 'What is it?' he asked.

She blinked at him for a moment before shaking her head. She glanced back at the woods once and shrugged it off. _This is all Kakashi-sensei's fault. He has me so stressed out that I'm seeing things,_ she fumed setting a few more sticks on the fire. She turned back to see Naruto watching her in confusion. He finally moved his hands and a sign that Sakura recognized from earlier. "No I didn't see your monster," she told him exasperatedly.

Naruto looked at her suspiciously for a moment before sighing. 'I'll go get some food,' he told her. At least she assumed that's what he was telling her; she really needed to spend sometime with that scroll on sign language that Kakashi had left them. Maybe she and Sasuke would learn quicker if they didn't allow each other to speak while they were on the island or something like that.

"Just make sure to dry yourself off quickly this time. I think you might be getting sick and it won't help us if you're sick while we're here," she warned him. Naruto shot her a bemused look but shrugged it off. He started towards Sasuke to wake the other boy up but Sakura intercepted him. "Let Sasuke-kun sleep; he was up most of the night keeping watch at your insistence," she told him. Naruto scowled at her and looked like he wanted to protest. Sakura wasn't sure if he didn't because her glare scared him or if he thought it was futile because she wouldn't be able to understand him anyway.

She watched as he shuffled away, kicking up a great deal of sand as he went. He shrugged off the majority of his clothing and Sakura blinked in shock. She raised her hand to brush through her hair and realized that her forehead protector was gone. _That's why I never saw them before,_ she realized, _he wore his forehead protector around his neck._ She shuddered slightly and turned away quickly; she was used to seeing scars on older shinobi and even some of her friends bore inconsequential scars from training accidents. But it was more than obvious that Naruto's didn't come from any sort of accident, they also weren't exactly what one would call inconsequential.

Naruto returned fifteen minutes later with three fish just like the night before. His jacket and shirt were back in place and Sakura had to admit that she was relieved when she noticed the scars were mainly hidden. Naruto handed Sakura the fish and while she was busy he snuck over to annoy Sasuke. He grabbed one of the sticks near the fire and reached over to poke the other boy. Sasuke reached out and grabbed the stick from him before it could hit and Naruto pointed at him and opened his mouth to yell accusingly.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow condescendingly as Naruto continued to flounder about wordlessly. The blond finally came to rest several feet from Sasuke and plopped down. He crossed his arms and turned away pouting and refusing to look at either of his teammates. Sakura glanced over when she realized that Sasuke was sitting up and turned to Naruto angrily. "Didn't I say not to wake him up," she accused.

Naruto turned to gape at her and frantically signed what she was sure was an excuse, but she didn't catch any of what he said. _At least this time I don't have to feel bad about not understanding him; he's so flustered that I'm pretty sure he's messing up on his own._ She rolled her eyes at him and went back to turning the fish over the fire. "This'll take a bit longer," she told them after she had gotten sick of the stifling silence that had descended upon them. "Why don't the two of you spar and get that out of the way. The earlier we finish the exercises he set out for us the faster we'll be able to search the island."

Naruto turned to glare at Sasuke but the dark haired boy simply ignored him and stood up. Sasuke moved farther down the beach and waited stoically for Naruto to join him. "Hurry up, dobe," Sasuke called out as Naruto sluggishly made his way over. Naruto glared at him but continued at his slow pace. "At this point sparring with Sakura would be better than this," Sasuke said disdainfully. Naruto stopped about five feet away and then lunged at the other boy, snarling.

Sakura rolled her eyes as their sparring match turned into a wrestling competition. She sincerely hoped that Kakashi wasn't watching this because she wasn't sure if he'd count what they were doing as "constructively working on their combat skills".

Sasuke cursed and recoiled when Naruto's harmless grappling turned into a fist full of sand in his eyes. Naruto used his moment of blindness to land a punch to Sasuke's right eye. Sasuke lashed out in return and, still blind, tackled Naruto to the ground where they resumed their grappling. However, Naruto maintained an advantage because Sasuke couldn't stop to rub his eyes and the sand continued to cause irritation which created blind spots. Naruto landed five more hits that Sasuke knew were going to leave nasty bruises and he wasn't sure if he had managed to return the favor with any significant blows.

Sakura finally broke up their "spar" and told them to come eat. Naruto immediately made his way over to her and sat down, gratefully accepting the fish she handed him. He began eating smugly as Sasuke limped over to them. Sasuke couldn't quite remember when Naruto had landed a kick on his knee but it hurt like hell.

After eating Sakura suggested that they run the laps Kakashi had told them to, so that they could get a feel for the size of the island. After that they could complete the sparring and explore the island a bit more in hopes of finding a spot for a more permanent camp. Without reason to argue, both boys agreed and they took off. The island itself couldn't be more than a kilometer and a half in circumference and they had seen at least two streams that seemed to cross through the island in an X-shape. They passed their camp for the fourth time and prepared to finish their last lap when Naruto stopped and added more wood to the dying fire, before allowing them to move on.

They returned to find that someone had put the fire out, with water judging by the wet sand surrounding the messy ashes that were all that was left of their fire. "Do you still have a match or two left?" Sakura asked, turning to Naruto.

He nodded and pulled several matches out of his pocket to show her. "Hold on to those no matter what," she instructed him. "Let's hurry up and finish the rest of the stuff Kakashi-sensei wanted us to do and then we'll move inward. Naruto, while Sasuke and I spar catch as many fish as you can. We'll take them with us," she added. "Then while you and I are sparring, Sasuke can collect more wood to take with us. That way we won't have to spend time looking for it later."

Naruto nodded and they all went their own way. Within an hour they were ready to move out and Sakura suggested that they follow one of the streams so that they wouldn't have to worry about coming to the beach as often. They had been walking for a while when Sasuke stopped short. Sakura and Naruto quickly moved up to his side, but he simply pointed down at the damp mud they were walking through.

Sakura moved in front of the two boys and bent down to inspect the footprint that Sasuke had found. Naruto curiously leaned down next to her and tried to size up the print by comparing it to his own foot. The footprint was at least three times as large as his own foot and it hadn't been made by anything human, unless that human had been born with only four toes, and what looked like a claw in the back. "Why is this the only one in the area?" Sakura asked aloud.

Naruto pantomimed walking and then stretched his arms as wide as he could, but Sakura and Sasuke looked at him dumbly. "I know that wasn't actual sign language and I have no clue what you were trying to tell us," Sakura told him. Naruto's proud smile quickly turned into a scowl and he turned away from his teammates for a moment before quickly turning back. He knelt down and splashed some of the water from the stream onto the mud and then wrote /long stride/ before pointing to a second foot print in the middle of the stream.

"Actually, you could have signed that and both of us would have understood it," Sakura told him a bit apologetically. Naruto glared at Sasuke, despite the fact that he hadn't been the one to say it, and jabbed his finger again at the second print in the stream.

"Whatever this was passed here heading towards the beach," Sasuke stated. "And this doesn't look that old. We should be careful until we figure out just what's on the island."

'It's a monster,' Naruto told them as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Sasuke scoffed at him, but Sakura wasn't so inclined to ignore his claims anymore.

She glanced around at their surroundings and sighed. "We should keep going," she told them. About an hour later they found an area that Sasuke and Sakura thought would suit their needs. It wasn't too far from the small streams, so they would have water nearby and they'd be able to make it back to the beach easily. "First things first, let's rebuild the fire. I don't really see what we'd manage to do for shelter; hopefully the trees will provide some if it rains," she told them, placing the scrolls on the ground.

They quickly went about gathering enough kindling and setting up the fire. When it was set up properly, Naruto pulled out a match and lit it. With almost extreme care, he slowly moved the match to light the kindling, making sure that a stray breeze didn't come along and extinguish it. When the kindling was lit, and Naruto was occupied with slowly adding more to it, Sakura turned to examine their supplies. _It won't kill us to eat fish for a while, but we really have no clue how long Kakashi-sensei intends to leave us here. It would probably be best if we take time over the next few days to see if there are any other animals or edible plants on the island. Gathering wood in general won't be a problem, but if it rains we'll need something to put over the fire to guard it and it could make it difficult to find dry wood. So we should make sure we always have more than a day's supply of wood and find a way to cover it with something to keep it relatively dry,_ Sakura thought, trying to remember everything she had learned from Iruka about survival.

Her train of thought was lost when she heard a branch snap off to her left. Any doubts about Naruto's monster were driven from Sakura and Sasuke's minds as they saw what was crouching on a tree branch at the edge of their clearing. "Whatever you do, don't let it put the fire out," Sasuke whispered, moving his kunai in front of him defensively. Naruto slowly placed the remaining matches securely in his pocket and pulled out his kunai. Sakura took out her kunai and inched towards the fire, checking to make sure the small fire was okay as she did so.

The creature in the tree watched them curiously for a moment before dropping to the ground. Sasuke and Sakura stood up, but Naruto remained crouched next to the fire. The thing was a lot easier to see in the afternoon sunlight. It had to be close to eight feet tall, and its shoulders were at least as wide as he was tall. Just like the footprints they had found suggested, the creature had four toes on the front of the foot and an odd talon like digit on the back.

It had brown leathery hide and sparse, but coarse looking patches of fur or hair on its body. Its neck was elongated and had a small ridge of even coarser looking hair along it that trailed down the back. The head was like no animal Naruto had ever seen. It was small and circular in shape with two huge bulging eyes, and Naruto could only hope that that meant the brain inside of it was small and stupid. The mouth was a thin line, but Naruto could see the ridges of sharp teeth protruding from the top jaw.

The four had sat there staring at each other for what seemed like several minutes when all of a sudden the creature lunged towards Sakura. She hopped out of the way; surprisingly enough, it followed her. Sakura dodged again as the creature swung one of its clawed hands towards her head.

Its feet kicked up dust as it ran forwards and Naruto's eyes widened when he realized the dirt was causing the fire to splutter. He quickly set more grass and leaves hoping to keep it going until the larger wood caught. Naruto glanced at Sasuke and saw him preparing to dash towards the monster. He stood up as Sasuke took off and jumped towards Sakura, who had been struggling to dodge all of the creature's attacks.

Sasuke stabbed forward with his kunai, hoping to drive the beast backwards. He succeeded somewhat, but after a moment of avoiding Sasuke's attacks, it merely jumped over him and towards Naruto and Sakura. Sakura screamed and moved away but Naruto stood his ground and struck forward with his kunai. He missed the hit and had to duck in between the thing's legs. While behind it, he jumped up attempting to land a kick on the back of its head. The large creature spun around and batted Naruto away while he was still in mid air.

Naruto hit the ground with a thud and skidded backwards straight through the small fire and into one of the trees. He sat up and rushed back over to where the fire had been, once he was sure that Sasuke and Sakura were keeping the creature busy. He focused on gathering up as much of it as he could; Naruto was happy to find that some of the smaller pieces hadn't actually been extinguished, so he put them together and added some more allowing it to quickly rekindle.

Sticking his burnt thumb into his mouth he stood up and saw that the beast had kept its attention on Sakura and Sasuke the whole time. He moved slowly around the fire while Sasuke was fighting it and prepared to throw his kunai at it, when the creature stopped its attacks and jumped up through the trees, disappearing. He blinked and looked around in confusion. Sasuke was looking up at the canopy of the trees expectantly, but nothing happened. They stood in silence for almost five minutes and the monster failed to return.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Sakura asked, looking over. She was surprised to see that he had already managed to repair the damage to the fire that his fall had caused.

Naruto nodded and signed, 'It only attacked you two.'

"Maybe it decided you weren't worth its time after you ran away from it yesterday," Sasuke taunted.

Naruto growled, but Sakura sent a glare his way and he backed down slightly. "The good thing is that it didn't manage to put out the fire," she said.

'It didn't go after the fire,' Naruto told them, but neither of his teammates was paying attention to his hands and they missed the signs. He sighed in frustration and looked back down at the thumb he had burned. He blinked when he realized that it didn't hurt anymore and the skin looked perfectly fine; it wasn't odd for him to heal quickly, but normally the little things didn't heal that quickly.

"We need to set up camp better so that it can't attack as easily. The fire needs to be put in a place that's accessible but harder to put out, so it definitely needs something over it. And we should make sure that we always have dry wood available, so we should have some here and cover it with something," Sakura decided.

Naruto blinked at her and turned to Sasuke, surprised to see that he was nodding in agreement. 'Aren't we going to do something about that thing?' he asked. When he realized that neither of his teammates had noticed for a second time, he marched up to Sakura and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Naruto help Sasuke gather more firewood; I'll try to figure out what to do with the fire here," she told him, without turning around. Naruto growled slightly and turned to Sasuke to try him, but he was quickly ignored.

"Let's go dobe," Sasuke said to him, walking out of the clearing.

Naruto mouthed the nickname and glared in Sasuke's direction before taking off in the opposite direction. Neither of his teammates seemed to notice; Sasuke continued on his way and Sakura began examining the clearing trying to figure out a way to protect the fire. Over the next hour Sasuke returned every fifteen or so minutes with another load of wood, and Sakura began to become suspicious when Naruto didn't return once. After his fifth load Sakura stopped him and told him to look for Naruto instead.

By the time Sasuke returned an hour later – and without Naruto – Sakura had dug out a fire pit and done what she could to cover some of the wood he had gathered. "Where is he?" Sakura asked, turning around to face him.

"I can't find him," Sasuke answered not really looking her in the eye; instead he turned to inspect the small clearing he had chosen.

"Where could he be?" Sakura asked. _How the hell could he not find him? Naruto wears orange for cripes sake! And the island isn't **that** big, _she wondered as Sasuke continued to ignore her.

"Well we can't just leave him out there, can we?" she asked, looking at him for answers. _Kakashi-sensei's going to kill us if we lose Naruto,_ she thought pathetically.

"He'll come back before it gets dark," Sasuke told her; he ignored the pink haired girl as she spluttered in response and turned to add more wood onto the fire.

"Back by dark?" Sakura muttered darkly, later that night after the two had eaten and were preparing to settle in.

"It's too late to search for him again tonight; we'll have to find him tomorrow," Sasuke stated. Sakura froze and laughed nervously; _he wasn't supposed to hear that,_ she thought despondently. _This is all Naruto's fault; now he's got me worried and insulting Sasuke-kun_.

_- Day 3 -_

Naruto woke up and stretched, making sure not to fall out of the tree he had spent the night in. He wondered when his teammates would realize that he was barely fifty feet from them but he didn't feel like giving himself up, doing so before they found him would be too boring. He climbed, the normal way, to the top of the tree and noticed that the sun was just rising and that meant his teammates probably wouldn't wake for some time. Instead of waiting around, he took off on his own towards the nearby stream to get a drink and maybe find something other than fish for his teammates to eat; a gift might make them a bit less angry at him, even though it was their fault that he had left in the first place.

He had just finished splashing his face with water when he noticed an odd reflection in the ripples he had left behind. As the ripples faded and he realized what he was looking at his eyes widened and he forced himself to slowly turn towards the figure standing in the tree behind him. It didn't seem to be preparing to pounce or anything; it was just watching him curiously. Experimentally, Naruto took a step to his left, farther up stream from the monster but not into the stream, and when the monster did nothing he took a second and then a third. He managed six steps, moving steadily back towards their campsite, before the monster moved, jumping over Naruto's head and landing in another tree effectively blocking Naruto's escape.

Naruto frowned at the monster that still refused to attack or even show any hostility. This time he decided to just be direct and he took several steps forward hoping the monster would just let him leave; however, when he was just three feet away from the tree the monster was sitting in it growled at him and dropped down from the branch to stand in his way. Naruto cautiously backed away not wanting to risk being hit by the monster like he had been the night before. When he was standing in front of the stream again the monster was apparently satisfied that Naruto wasn't going to try and escape so it jumped back up to his perch and settled down.

Naruto sighed in annoyance and looked around inquisitively. If he had been back where he had started he would have been able to cross the stream easily enough and then, if the beast wasn't as fast as it looked, he might have stood a chance of losing it in the forest. As it was, the stream behind him looked deeper and much wider than the neck to his right. In order to cross he would have to swim either to the other shore or to the shallower neck, either way would give the monster too much time to catch up to him.

As the monster continued to watch him, Naruto grew bored and finally sat down, throwing a baleful glare in the thing's direction as he did so and signing, 'I should name you Pervert too. You're as annoying him.' He sat up a bit straighter when the monster seemed to momentarily lose its balance. When it righted itself, its head was ducked and its shoulders were shaking as if it was laughing.

_That's just creepy_, Naruto thought, settling back down as the monster didn't make another move. He was still there two hours later when voices from the forest behind the monster told Naruto that his teammates were awake and heading his way. He stood up slowly and noticed that the monster seemed to have been alerted to their presence as well. Glancing around Naruto tried to find something to throw so that he could alert his teammates to what they were walking in to. With the only rocks being in the stream itself and too far away for the monster to let him move he took out his kunai instead.

"Well where all did you look last night?" Sakura asked loudly. Apparently the monster didn't like her tone as it repositioned itself to move towards her. Its jump was halted when Naruto's kunai hit the trunk of the tree it was standing on just inches from its nose. It angrily turned its attention to him and away from the two Genin that had appeared ten feet away.

_Okay, weaponless with a giant monster angry at me. Maybe I should have just let it eat them,_ Naruto thought as the monster landed on the forest floor and took a step towards Naruto, completely ignoring his surprised teammates. "What an idiot."

_Definitely should have let it eat them_, he thought after hearing Sasuke's annoyed statement. Naruto took another step away from the monster, making sure that he avoided the water, and when it took a step towards him Naruto turned and ran. He could hear the monster moving behind him and tried to move off towards the trees but the monster lunged towards him precariously and Naruto only avoided being hit by dodging back towards the water. His landing was worsened when his foot slipped off of an exposed root and sent him sprawling backwards landing half in the water. He heard Sakura's shout behind him and pushed himself the rest of the way into the stream as his teammates approached.

Unfortunately, his escape was halted by the monster. The moment Naruto resurfaced on the other side of the stream it took a running leap and managed to clear the expanse and land on the shore in front of Naruto. Naruto rolled to the side and bounced back onto his feet as the monster moved towards him. Behind him he could hear one of his teammates swimming towards him and footsteps told him that another must have been running towards the shallower part to run across and help him. Hoping he was right Naruto took off in that direction. He had only made it three steps when the monster's arm smacked him in the side and into a tree. He tried to brace himself for the impact but his head snapped backwards and hit the trunk hard before bouncing back off and landing in a heap on the ground.

Once Naruto went down the monster veered off into the trees with Sasuke and Sakura right behind him. They pursued the monster for several meters before it suddenly disappeared. They listened intently hoping for a clue to its presence and when nothing came they turned back and headed back towards Naruto, wondering why he hadn't followed them.

The two reached the shore and Sakura started to panic when she didn't see Naruto anywhere. "Did he take off again?" she asked turning towards Sasuke. The Uchiha's response was to roll his eyes at her and point to the opposite shore where Naruto had collapsed. "He swam over there and then fainted," Sakura stated in disbelief moving back towards the shallow neck again.

"Let's just get him back to camp. When he wakes up you can yell at him and then we'll train," Sasuke responded.

When Naruto finally revived Sakura had already set three fish on the fire and she and Sasuke were finishing up their spar. He blinked at his surroundings in confusion and reached to touch the back of his head. It should have been bruised, but he felt no tenderness in the area. "Oh finally you're awake," Sakura said, walking towards him. "I don't know what you were thinking by running off last night but if this morning is anything to go by then we'll fail unless we keep you with us at all times because it seems like the only thing you're good at is catching fish and getting yourself into trouble."

Naruto glared at her and moved to retort before thinking better of it and turning away with a sigh. Sakura blinked at the easy victory but let it go. If Naruto wasn't going to argue it would make things run much more smoothly. "You and Sasuke should spar and then we will. After that, we'll do our laps and maybe look around a bit more," she added.

'What happened?'

"Excuse me?" Sakura asked.

'What happened?'

"What do you mean 'What happened'? What do you think happened? You fainted on the other side of the river after running away instead of following to help us track that thing down," she told him.

Naruto shook his head frowning as his eyes squinted shut. All he could remember was hitting the tree. Sakura only rolled her eyes at his behavior and snapped her fingers in front of his face to get his attention. "Go spar against Sasuke. We need to get this stuff done or Kakashi-sensei will get angry."

'Pervert won't get angry. He's doing this because if we die he doesn't have to teach us,' Naruto signed.

Sakura gave him a blank look of confusion and he turned away, pushing himself to his feet.

_This is going to be a long two weeks._

* * *

AR: The majority of this chapter was inspired by the training in Fullmetal Alchemist. If you've read or watched that then you know what I'm talking about. I hope you enjoyed it!

Also, Kakashi is just plain weird in this story. I'm honestly not quite sure what is going on with his character; he just sort of comes out the way he does and I'm too amused to change him. I certainly hope you guys are at least somewhat amused, but I have a really weird sense of humor and I can never figure out how much of what I find funny is getting across to the readers in the same sense.

If the thing about the matches confused you, it'll actually get explained more next chapter. Basically, the level of technology is selectively advanced; today most of us are used to seeing paper matchbooks, but wooden ones are older. There would be less of a reason for paper ones to be manufactured in the Naruto world so they weren't. Iruka got the matches from the same place Sandaime got the comic book for Naruto, but this won't come in for sometime. To be honest the only real reason for this distinction is so that Kakashi can yell at Iruka for ruining his fun next chapter!

Thanks to all my reviewers: **_KunochiDreamer, Tombadgerlock, Miss Selarne, HinatasBiggestFanBoy, Aaron Nowack, KitMiyu, HanaTenshiHimeko, strength-91-possibility-none, Azamiko, Bloodluvingirl, Godsbane, Stormraven, The Dark Kitsune Lord,_** **_rabidbutterfly,_****_DaisyAnimeluvr, xXShadowedfateXx, Bobboky,_** **_Yami Ryo,_** **_SilkStar,_** **_missgoten,_****_LachwenII,_** **_Falcon Zanbandia of Nightmares,_****_whiterose03, Sad, eh.sure.whatever.,_** **_Smaragd,_****_DarkRavie,_** **_AznPuffyHair, _**and **_anon._**

Special thanks to Kage Husha for all his encouragement and to all of you who have been waiting so long for this. I'm really sorry that it took so long; it's been a busy year.

Just a random thing that someone brought up:

"Giggling Genin", the phrase was used mainly because of the funny alliteration not because all three were actually giggling. I completely agree that Sasuke will never giggle; this is most likely a something that he is incapable of.


	7. Training III

AS: I'm sure there are more grammar mistakes in this, and the last chapter, than usual – which is actually a fair amount. I'm trying to get these up a bit faster, but I don't have as much time on the computer so editing isn't quite as thorough. If you guys see any really big mistakes (in any of the chapters) feel free to mention it in a review or email and I'll try to remember to fix it when I'm next online.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language; I'll probably use more than one form of sign language but I'll denote that in the sentence, it will still be within single quotes ''.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Naruto so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Training**

_- Day 1 - _

"Hey, maybe we should wait to do this till these kids put on a little more weight," Kakashi heard one of the Chuunin claim from behind him. He turned around, narrowly missing whacking Naruto's head on a branch, and gave Izumo a bored look. "What do you expect of two orphans and a teenage girl who diets constantly? They'll toughen up on the island," he claimed back.

"Seriously, Kakashi-san, this girl doesn't weigh a thing. The blond looks practically emaciated, and Uchiha looks like he could at least stand to gain some muscle," Kotetsu piped up, supporting Izumo.

Kakashi fought the urge to growl; if he couldn't squash their sympathy his fun would be completely ruined. "Add malnourishment to their reports," he finally said, walking off with Naruto's limp body swinging over his shoulder.

The two Chuunin exchanged a glance and then followed hesitantly with their own charges. "Are you sure you shouldn't wait until they at least know more sign language. Iruka said that-" Izumo was cut off by Kakashi's glare.

"You already spilled didn't you," Kakashi stated.

Kotetsu nervously chuckled and took a step away while moving Sakura's body so that she was partially shielding him from any attacks Kakashi could launch. "He was very persistent," he mumbled.

"If he isn't here to stop us then he's allowing it to happen," Kakashi reasoned.

"Well, he isn't totally against the idea. He just thinks you should wait until their communication improves," Izumo said.

Kakashi turned around and continued walking away from Team 7's training field. "This will force them to communicate. All three will be forced to adapt their teamwork faster for this than for any normal training sessions," he explained once he heard the two begin following him again.

When they reached the shore Kakashi quickly removed the genjutsu that hid the small land bridge connecting to the interior island. The three trekked across and laid the three Genin out on the ground. Kakashi pulled out three kunai and the four scrolls he had prepared the night before. He briefly considered hiding all but the first scroll, but he figured Iruka would find a way to kill him if he made the exercise too difficult, that was of course if he managed to live after Iruka found out that he had had to knock Naruto out himself because the poison didn't work on him. He contented himself with placing the three unconscious Genin in compromising positions that would embarrass at least the two that woke up second.

Once the Genin were set Kakashi prepared to leave. Izumo and Kotetsu stayed behind just long enough to reposition the Genin before hurrying after him. They recrossed the bridge and Kakashi activated the genjutsu. It was small enough that he didn't think even Sakura would notice it; the only way the three would ever learn of its existence was if Sasuke miraculously managed to activate his Sharingan, but that wasn't likely to happen until he had been through a few combat situations.

They made their way back to the Sandaime's office and Kakashi prepared himself for the verbal beating he would most likely receive from Iruka upon their return. He was slowly trailing behind the two Chuunin when he noticed them speed up and scurry past the mission room. Just as he was about to pass, two figures snuck out the door and almost knocked into him. "What-" Kakashi's question was cut off when two hands slapped over his mouth.

Iruka and Anko forced Kakashi back out of the line of sight from inside the room before breathing a sigh of relief. "That was a close one," Anko stated, releasing her hold on Kakashi. Iruka nodded and did the same.

"What just happened?" Kakashi asked a little dazed by the fact that he had practically been assaulted by a Special Jounin and a Chuunin.

"Gai and his team came back. Under normal circumstances I can handle him, but I can't take him and that student of his at the same time," Anko replied.

Kakashi studied her for a minute before shrugging and continuing on his way. "Kakashi," he winced as he heard Iruka angrily interrupt his departure, "where are your students?"

"Training," Kakashi replied, hoping he could avoid a confrontation while Anko was still there.

"Oh? I heard Kotetsu and Izumo talking about some special test you were putting them through. I think they mention you were using the training island," Iruka informed him.

"Seriously?" Anko asked, "Can I help keep watch?" she added enthusiastically.

"It's not going to be as bloody as it is when ANBU uses it," Iruka scolded.

"Don't care. Those three'll probably kill each other. I saw that little pink haired kunoichi on your team after you chopped off her hair; she's got quite the temper if she ever allows herself to lose it," Anko told him.

"She suppresses it most of the time though. I don't think even Naruto would manage to provoke her to the point where she'd let it loose completely," Iruka countered, walking past Kakashi and towards the Hokage's office.

"Well he might not, but Kotetsu and Izumo don't know not to," Kakashi admitted following behind them.

"Why would that matter?"

"They're going back later today," Kakashi stated nonchalantly, ignoring Iruka's suspicion, and pushing in front of the two hoping to reach the Sandaime's office first.

"You mean you're only leaving the kids there for an afternoon? That's boring," Anko told him.

"I'm leaving them there for two weeks. Kotetsu and Izumo are going to cause problems for them; what they do is up to them," Kakashi told her.

"And if one of them doesn't realize what they're doing and shocks Naruto?" Iruka asked.

Kakashi froze mid-stride and seemed to consider Iruka's question, before shrugging it off and continuing on his way to the Sandaime's office. "Kakashi," Iruka intoned threateningly.

"I'm sure they won't do anything stupid; they're just little Chuunin," Kakashi commented.

"Little Chuunin?" Iruka asked, raising an eyebrow. Anko smirked sadistically and took a step away from the fuming sensei.

"Well they are two years younger than you," Kakashi reasoned.

"Hey wait a minute, that means they're the same age as me," she hissed, stepping back into the argument.

Kakashi sighed and reached into his pocket and pulled out a little orange book before walking away from the two. "Look at it this way, you're scarier than both of them so no one's going to call you little. And we all know Iruka isn't exactly a normal Chuunin," he commented, finally entering the Hokage's office.

"Scarier than who?" Izumo asked, glancing at Kakashi from his single visible eye.

Kakashi ignored his question and glanced around the room. "Where does the Hokage want us to set up the surveillance equipment?" he asked.

"In the next room; it's already ready," Kotetsu answered.

Kakashi nodded and walked through the open doorway into the smaller room next door. Anko and Iruka appeared next to him a moment later as he looked at the various monitors that had been set up. "How many eyes are out there?" Iruka asked.

"Two for each of the kids, another on Kotetsu and Izumo, and the eighth one just for general surveillance," Kakashi answered, pointing to the monitors; six of them showed various views of the beach and the three Genin lying motionless on it. Kakashi inspected their positions closely before turning to glare at the two Chuunin cowering near the door.

"You know he would have killed you if we hadn't done it," Izumo reasoned quietly.

"Who would have?" Iruka asked, turning to the other three men suspiciously.

The Sandaime's entrance stopped anyone from answering Iruka's question. "You've set everything up already?"

"All that's left now is for those kids to wake up," Izumo answered.

"The two of you should probably head back over there before that happens; there'll be less chance of them spotting the bridge that way," Kakashi told him, hiding his smirk behind his mask and the orange book still in front of his face.

"Any rules we need to follow?" Kotetsu asked, walking towards the door with Izumo.

Iruka looked towards Kakashi expectantly, but the silver haired man remained silent and Kotetsu and Izumo took it as permission to leave. "Are they at least wearing a headset or something?" Iruka asked, as they walked out the door.

"Oh, right. Wear your headsets at all times," Kakashi told them, gaining an appalled look from Iruka.

Anko looked between the two and struggled to hide her laughter as Kakashi continued to ignore Iruka. Looking for a distraction, she turned towards the monitors that showed the beach. But this time, only two of the three Genin were still motionless. "Hey, Uchiha's awake," she said, catching the attention of the three men still in the room.

The Sandaime glanced at the monitors as Sasuke woke his teammates up. "Well, I have a great deal of paperwork to finish; alert me if anything important happens," he said, as Naruto tried to explain to his teammates that they had been drugged.

"Honestly, they should have been able to understand everything he's told them so far," Iruka commented.

"Shit, what happened to him?" Anko asked walking up behind Iruka as Naruto struggled to communicate with his teammates.

"He was left mute by the attack from Mizuki's teammate," Kakashi answered. Anko stared at him in shock for a moment before turning back the screen, staring at the boy in awe. As Sakura made it through the scrolls Anko's mood shifted and she began laughing at their furiousness.

"Was all that really necessary?" Iruka asked.

Kakashi shrugged and frowned as they once again failed to understand Naruto and he was forced to pantomime. As the three separated to set up camp Anko was too busy laughing at Kakashi's astonishment that the girl had picked up the sign for pervert and not the rest of what Naruto had said. She was brought back abruptly when Naruto shed his shirt allowing the scars on his neck to stand out. "Shit," she muttered. "You normally don't see that on someone without mission experience."

The tension was broken when the other two returned and they began to decide how to build a fire. Anko was admittedly a bit confused by the twin looks of certainty Iruka and Kakashi were sporting since she was sure they didn't want the same thing out of this. Iruka won out when Naruto pulled out a book of paper matches from his jacket. Kakashi turned to stare at him in disappointment. "Don't look at me like that, it was necessary during his earlier survival training," Iruka stated.

"You give those to all of your students?" Anko asked curiously.

"Well no, they're actually fairly hard to find on the shinobi continents, but Naruto's typically creative and when we went camping without supplies he hid flint rock in his coat and his team was the only one who managed to start a fire on the first night," Iruka admitted. "I gave them to him because they're easier to hide."

"So why exactly are you doing this?" Anko finally asked Kakashi as Naruto and Sasuke set off to find more firewood.

"Kotetsu and Izumo are evaluating them. So are we while we watch," he told her.

"Does that mean I can write up a really scathing report?" she asked eagerly.

"As long as it makes sense. The more opinions we get the easier it will be to help them improve," Iruka told her.

"From the way Sandaime-sama phrased it, the auto-pass was given for Sasuke's benefit because of Naruto's injuries. What's the real reason?" Anko asked.

"That is the official reason," Kakashi told her.

"I don't doubt that. I want to know what the _real_ reason is," Anko repeated.

Iruka smiled as Kakashi sighed reluctantly. He was saved from answering her when they noticed hurried movement on several of the monitors. "Looks like Kotetsu and Izumo decided to show themselves," Kakashi commented, snorting at their appearance.

"They read too many of those horror stories," Iruka muttered disparagingly. "Even Naruto could have come up with something more creative to pose as."

Anko snickered and watched as Naruto managed to scuttle away from the monster that was Kotetsu and Izumo in possibly the lamest henge disguise she had ever seen. "Not bad. He didn't freeze up," she commented. "Although considering their form, he isn't as likely to see it as particularly intelligent so this isn't necessarily a good predictor for real life combat."

Once Naruto returned to camp and began telling his tale, their criticism became a bit harsher. "Once again, they should know most of this. If that scroll you gave them is advanced and they've already forgotten what they learned then it won't be of any help," Iruka stated.

"Kakashi this is some of the most messed up team chemistry I have ever seen. Why were they placed together? And once more, what was the real reason for the auto-pass?" Anko asked.

"They are more or less blank slates. Sanzo hasn't taught Sakura much, so other than Sasuke, they don't have assets aside from what they learned at the Academy and what they taught themselves. The Sandaime is hoping that this lack of family expertise will allow them to become more generalized and that without certain restrictions to hold them back they will advance more quickly," Kakashi explained.

"Aside from Asuma and Kurenai's teams these three were the only Academy students that the Sandaime felt were ready to become Genin so he put them together in hopes that they would be learn to work together more so than the preset formulas of the other two teams. Kurenai's are preset for tracking. Asuma's for espionage and covert missions. These three will be able to pick up a wider variety of missions; at least that's the theory," Iruka added.

"So they'll be like little you's," Anko muttered to herself giddily. As the three Genin sat down to eat she quickly lost interest, and after being assured that nothing was set to actually happen until the next day she left Kakashi and Iruka to their work.

The Sandaime had appeared just as Naruto set about trying to convince his teammates that they needed someone awake to keep watch that night. "Shouldn't they know this?" he asked curiously, when the other two had finally agreed.

"They should know a lot of things. Apparently we didn't give them enough practice so now they aren't communicating properly," Iruka told him.

"At least they listened to him, even if it was just to shut him up. I probably would have set Kotetsu and Izumo on them if they hadn't guarded the camp properly," Kakashi added. _Maybe now I'll just have them scare Sakura_, he added to himself.

_- Day 2 -_

He went through his plan the next morning. Sakura had spent her entire shift staring gloomily at the fire, only looking away to send occasional glares in the direction of Naruto's slumbering form. As she began to doze off, Kakashi turned on the communicator and woke up Kotetsu and Izumo. "Head towards the beach, see if you scare her awake," he told them before they could complain about the early hour.

Kakashi was disappointed to see Sakura startle awake before the two had made it there. He was even more disappointed when she was startled by Naruto and brushed off what she had seen. "She shouldn't have done that. Even if it seemed miniscule she shouldn't just brush it off," Iruka muttered, leaning forward and brushing the hair out of his eyes and back into its ponytail.

The comfortable silence of watching the trio was broken when Anko surged into the room, precariously swinging a paper bag in her hand, and happily plopped down in between them. "I brought food," she told them, handing the bag to Iruka just as Naruto and Sasuke started their morning spar. She giggled when Naruto threw a fist full of sand into Sasuke's eyes. "I commend him for making good of use of his surroundings."

"I commend them both for managing to forget everything they were taught in the academy," Iruka groaned.

As the three Genin sat down to eat, Anko grew bored at sat back restlessly. "Did the two of you really stay up watching these kids all night?"

"More or less," Kakashi responded.

"And here I thought I had no life. Don't classes at the academy start up soon? Shouldn't you be finishing your lessons plan or something?" she asked Iruka.

"I'm taking time off from the Academy to work on a few things for the Hokage," Iruka told her.

"Meaning you're training these brats too."

"That's only part of it," Iruka commented.

Anko's chance for fun came shortly after when the Sandaime called Iruka and Kakashi out of the room leaving Anko to supervise the monitors. The minute the two disappeared, Anko flipped on the communicator and greeted Kotetsu and Izumo, "Hey bozos!"

"_I take it this isn't Kakashi-san or even Iruka_," one of them grunted in return.

"Of course not. Here's the deal. The three are running their silly laps. Head towards the beach and when they disappear, put out their fire or something to set them back a bit. Make it look like something an animal did," she told them.

"_Fine_," the same Chuunin answered. "_I'll have Kotetsu do it_."

"Aren't you two supposed to be working together on this? It isn't vacation you know," Anko retorted.

"_It doesn't take two of us do this sort of thing, especially when we don't have to confront them_," Izumo told her, on the monitors she could see Kotetsu's back as we walked away from the bunker the two were hiding in. Izumo continued to grumble into the communicator, but Anko tuned him out as she watched the three Genin start their third lap. "These kids are pathetic. I hope that isn't their real speed," she muttered to herself. Running on sand might have been slowing them down a bit but it still didn't account for the weariness on Sakura's face.

"_Iruka commented that physical standards, especially among kunoichi in training, have been falling recently_," Izumo interrupted, bringing Anko's attention back towards him and then to the beach where she could see Kotetsu standing rather obviously near the tree line. "Is he holding a bucket?"

"_What_?"

"You're idiot partner is holding a bucket. Didn't I say you should make this look natural, like an animal could do it? What kind of animal is actually capable of dropping water on a lit fire to extinguish it?" Anko asked rhetorically.

"_Umm…I may have forgotten to mention that part_."

Anko turned to glare at the monitor showing Izumo and as if he could feel her glare the man shifted uncomfortably. "Well the damage is done. Not only are Sakura and Sasuke going to believe Naruto about the monster, but now you're going to have more trouble with them because they'll see you as more intelligent," she finally stated.

"_Yeah sure_," Izumo retorted.

"And why isn't he wearing his headset?" Anko added angrily.

"_He went out to put out their fire, why does he need one_?"

"You're as inept as these kids. What if we needed to warn him that one of the Genin was approaching? What if we needed to keep track of him? I can't tap into your location if you aren't wearing the headsets, just like those kids have to wear those wrist bands," she explained to him. She would have continued but she heard the door open so she flipped off the communicator and sat back just as Kakashi walked back into the room to observe the remainder of their training for that day.

"Maybe you should have given them more to do," Iruka commented reentering the room as the trio prepared to leave the beach. "I realize this is a survival test, but they'll get lazy at this rate."

"If they start getting lazy I'll have Kotetsu and Izumo rile them up," Kakashi retorted.

"You'll ask them to rile the three up. But Kotetsu and Izumo are just as likely to say no," Iruka retorted. "You would have gotten better results going yourself or sending Anko. I give them four days before they decide they don't want to listen to your orders anymore."

Kakashi rolled his eyes in annoyance and pulled out his book. Anko couldn't help but agreeing with Iruka, especially after the duo's performance earlier that morning. The rest of the afternoon passed slowly as the trio attempted to set up a camp. While Naruto's attempts of communicating with his teammates grew more desperate, their understanding grew worse.

As they began setting up the fire, Kakashi had grown bored enough to flip on the communicator and order Kotetsu and Izumo to interfere. He also ordered them to keep their headsets on during the fight.

"By the way, who did Naruto actually hit last night?" Iruka cut in asking.

"_Me_," Izumo replied as the two performed a combination henge and took off once again looking like the ridiculous monster they had thought up. Finding the trio's camp was easy enough, although it was interspersed with Kakashi attempting to lead them astray and Iruka cutting in to correct them. "Go after Sakura and Sasuke this time. You've already fought Naruto. Just pretend to brush him off," Kakashi commented as the two finally landed in one of the trees lining the campsite.

"Why do they think it's going to put out the fire?" Iruka asked when Sakura and Sasuke finally noticed the monster watching them. Anko quickly concealed her giggles and sat back to watch the show. She also noticed that now that he was finally seeing it in the light of day, Naruto didn't look nearly as convinced that the monster was supposed to frightening. Maybe that was the reason he was able to stand his ground when Sakura took off screaming.

The three were apparently having too much fun watching the Genin try to fight against the monster. When Kotetsu and Izumo finally got bored and left, the Sandaime's voice caught their attention. "His healing rate has increased," he commented looking at one of the monitors that were showing Naruto.

"Not only that but he was the only one who seemed to guess its targets," Iruka added.

"And the other two aren't paying attention to him. They still aren't expecting sign language so they aren't giving him a chance to speak," Anko added.

"Their ignorance is going to cause him to lose his cool," the Sandaime sighed, before straightening suspiciously and listening in as childish shrieks exploded from his office behind the door.

"Konohamaru?" Iruka asked in amusement.

"He'll get bored eventually," the Sandaime commented using the second exit to the room – the window.

"You know, it's things like that that prove he taught Jiraiya," Anko snorted, turning back to the monitors as the shrieks next door grew louder. "Wait, why isn't Naruto going back into the camp?"

"Like Sandaime-sama said, he's going to lose his cool. He's angry so he's ignoring them," Iruka explained.

"I'm a bit more worried about the fact that Sasuke can't seem to find him," Kakashi commented frowning. "I wasn't happy with their performances individually, but at least it was something to work with. They're weaker together than they were apart."

_- Day 3 -_

The three hadn't deemed it necessary to keep watch that night since the Genin were stewing. Kakashi had told Kotetsu and Izumo not to attack until they were given word the next morning and the three had left; Anko had done so angrily since she had a mission and wouldn't be able to watch the rest of the fun.

The next morning, Iruka was happy to note that he had actually made it to the tower before Kakashi. He dropped off his paperwork in the monitoring station and decided to check in at the mission room once he had seen that, of the three Genin, only Naruto was awake. While he was gone Kakashi finally arrived and, seeing the prime opportunity to ruin Naruto's morning, he flipped on the communicator. "Kotetsu, Izumo, Naruto's barely fifty meters from you at the stream. Block him in to see what Sakura and Sasuke do," Kakashi whispered.

Iruka returned just in time for Naruto to realize that the monster was in fact perched right behind him. When the monster refused to outright attack Naruto, Iruka grew a bit suspicious. "What did you tell them to do?" he asked suspiciously, right before Naruto sat down and called the monster Pervert.

"_Hey what the hell did he just say to us?_"

"He said he should call you Pervert as well because you're as annoying as Kakashi," Iruka replied before Kakashi could stop him from doing so. "Now what did you tell them to do?" he added, ignoring the sounds of stifled laughter coming from the communicator.

Kakashi continued to glare at Iruka as he replied, "Just to hold him there until Sasuke and Sakura arrive to see what they do."

"What good will that do? They'll blame him for getting into trouble on his own, even though we both know that he could have done nothing to avoid this, and that will make the next two weeks hell for all three of them. This is supposed to be a learning experience; you agreed to hold off on your twisted little test until they were communicating better, and yet here you are doing the same thing over a longer period of time," Iruka retorted.

Kakashi's glare shifted into an affronted look, with just enough of a hint of amusement that Iruka just knew he had guessed correctly. "This is nothing like my test," Kakashi finally retorted.

"In order to succeed the three of them have to work together. This isn't just a survival game; they have teamwork exercises that won't be completed if one of them doesn't want to go along with them. You're also playing on weaknesses you already discovered to put them in situations that will destroy the few attempts they've already made to correct these faults. Sakura's already gone back to favoring Sasuke. Sasuke's already trying to take control and find ways to do everything on his own. And Naruto has no clue how to deal with them because even if he did want to work with them he has no choice but to silently go along with what they tell him to do or leave on his own. How is this not like your test?"

"There are no bells," Kakashi responded lightly pulling out his book and leaning back. Iruka's jaw dropped and he gaped at Kakashi for several moments before forcing his mouth to shut and dropping his heads into his hands.

When the Sandaime arrived to check on them before his first meeting of the morning he realized that Iruka was attempting to stifle his laughter. "Well, any changes?" he finally asked.

"We're just waiting for Sakura and Sasuke to catch up to Naruto and realize that he's in trouble," Kakashi informed him.

The Sandaime sighed once and glanced at the monitors once before slowly backing out of the room. If Kakashi kept up his games for much longer, Iruka was going to lose his cool and probably resort to his over-protectiveness – he didn't want to be around when that happened.

"Hmmm…this is bad," Kakashi commented.

"What is?" Iruka finally asked.

"Well not bad, just stupid. Sakura and Sasuke haven't realized what they're walking into and Naruto, Kotetsu and Izumo all have," Kakashi answered. Of course it got worse when he watched Naruto give up his only weapon to keep the monster from attacking the two and their only response was to scold him instead of realizing how much trouble he was getting in. "Right jumping into a situation without checking surroundings, another point off," Kakashi muttered more to himself than to Iruka. "Well Naruto certainly takes the most creative way out of situations," he added as Naruto slipped into the water to allow his teammates to temporarily tackle the monster.

"You told Kotetsu and Izumo to just go after him this time, didn't you?" Iruka asked when the monster followed Naruto to the other side of the river.

"Alright Kotetsu, Izumo that's enough for now. And I may have said something along those lines," he commented back to Iruka, wincing slightly at the hit the monster landed on Naruto's side and flipping the communicator off.

"That last hit wasn't really necessary," Iruka retorted, watching in concern as Sakura and Sasuke followed the monster out of the area. "And why are they following it now? They wouldn't the night before when Naruto suggested it," he added.

"We have a slightly bigger problem," Kakashi interrupted, flipping the communicator back on. Iruka glanced at him in confusion before noticing that Naruto had disappeared from the two monitors that were supposed to keep track of him. "Kotetsu, Izumo get back to the river immediately. You knocked the kid unconscious and into the water," Kakashi stated over the radio.

The monster froze and temporarily disappeared from the monitors before reappearing next to the stream. "They just had to knock him in to the deep end," Kakashi cursed, as the two released the henge and Kotetsu dove in. Izumo skimmed over the top of the water and met Kotetsu on the other side of the stream when he resurfaced with Naruto in hand.

Izumo took Naruto from him and quickly checked to see that he was breathing. "_He should be fine. He wasn't left down there for long_," he commented back to Kakashi and Iruka. Kakashi wondered if the two could feel Iruka's glare all the way at the training island and if so if it was even half as intense as it really was right next to the other man.

"Move him back to the other side of the stream," Kakashi added as the two moved back towards the bunker.

"_No time. His teammates are on the way_," Kotetsu stated, as he and Izumo took off through the trees.

"I told you they would stop listening to you," Iruka remarked.

"They didn't _stop_ listening to me. They just found a way to go against what I said."

"I think that might have been the worst excuse for losing authority that I have ever heard. And I've spent the last five years coming up with reasons that six to twelve year olds don't listen to their academy sensei," Iruka commented.

"So that's why you were teaching," Kakashi muttered to himself again. Iruka shot a glare in his direction and turned back to the monitors to wait for Naruto to wake up and observe Sakura and Sasuke's spar.

Iruka's frown deepened at Sakura's ignorant explanation of what 'happened'. Kakashi's frown deepened when Naruto realized his plan…the plan Iruka had cut to pieces by being present during the festivities. "Hmm, Kotetsu and Izumo might have to bother them a bit more now that Naruto seems to have gotten over his anger at least temporarily," he decided.

"Haven't you had enough of this? You got the information you needed; they spent three days being manipulated further and further apart. The least you could do – if you intend to actually teach them as a team – is to let them attempt to repair some of it themselves," Iruka retorted. Instead of waiting for Kakashi's reply he decided to return to the mission room for the remainder of the afternoon. Team 7 would be fine as long as their sensei didn't interfere too much.

That night Kakashi told Izumo and Kotetsu to pear down their attacks. Within two days they had stopped completely, although Kakashi was still disappointed that Naruto was apparently the only one who noticed the odd foot prints near the river. When he had tried to explain that another shinobi – older than the three Genin – had to have been on the island, his teammates continued to be distracted from what he was saying and missed the point entirely. Kotetsu and Izumo remained on the island at Iruka's insistence in case any of the Genin decided to kill one or both of the others.

_- Day 14 -_

On the fourteenth day of their stay on the island, during an intense debate between Sakura and Sasuke about whether or not the first day had counted or if the scroll had meant that two weeks had to officially be over before the last scroll was opened, Naruto had gotten fed up with not being allowed to participate in the discussion, as well as with his teammates in general, and he had gone ahead and opened the scroll.

When the smoke cleared, Kakashi was standing on the island with a look torn between disappointment and amusement. While explaining to the trio that they had been monitored the entire time by cameras and that he hadn't liked what he had seen, two more shinobi appeared from the forest.

Naruto took one look at them and frowned suspiciously. The two only winked cheekily at him and performed a combination henge, taking on the appearance of the monster that had plagued the trio for the first few days. 'Pervert, you told them to try and kill me, didn't you?' he asked angrily.

Kakashi grinned at him but shook his head. "That was an accident. Luckily we were monitoring you and saw you fall in. They were the ones that pulled you out as well, which is why you found the footprint the next day," Kakashi commented, leaving Sakura and Sasuke oblivious to what the two were talking about.

"We have a lot to discuss, but before we do that I want to give Kotetsu and Izumo time to write up their reports. Anko already gave Iruka hers. While I'm going over these tomorrow, the three of you will be meeting with Iruka. If you two don't improve your sign language this team will never work," he declared turning to Sakura and Sasuke. Sakura sheepishly glanced in Naruto's direction and was surprised to see that he was outright glaring at her.

When he was satisfied that the three understood the plan, Kakashi escorted the Genin back to the village.

* * *

AS:

Heheh, before I say anything else, I swear I did not switch the monster to Izumo and Kotetsu just because people guessed Kakashi. That being said, it would have been pretty funny if it had been him, I just think that Kakashi, in this story at least, finds it even funnier to make other people do the work of riling up his students while he gets to sit back and laugh at them. Actually I was really surprised that no one guessed that it might be Iruka. Anyways hope you liked it.

Just so you guys don't get confused, the only 'assets' Sasuke has are the sharingan, at least it will be when it forms, and the one Katon jutsu that we know his father taught him. Everything else we've seen is stuff he learned at the Academy or taught himself, which is why he's level with Sakura and Naruto.

Also the pacing was a bit odd because I know the timing between comments and their corresponding actions (in the previous chapter) weren't always the same. I tried to fix this, but I didn't want to drag out too much or have a lot of tiny cut scenes or something (just imagine lots of awkward silences between Kakashi and Iruka (and Anko) when little to no action is really taking place with Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke)

Thanks to all my reviewers:

_Kage Husha,__rianifitria,_ _DarkRavie,_ _Meca Vegeta,_ _Azamiko,__Tombadgerlock,_ _xXShadowedfateXx,_ _KiraraKat,__Gohanzgirl,_ _Suki1,_ _aledeth,_ _AznPuffyHair,__mikatsuki.arashi,_ _Angel Inoshi,_ _Doc Destructo,__Gothic Kacie,_ _Lachwen,_

I really appreciate all the comments and hope that this story at least remains entertaining and that I can keep updating much more often during this semester.


	8. Braining I

AS: Here's the start of Chapter 6, enjoy!

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language; I'll probably use more than one form of sign language but I'll denote that in the sentence, it will still be within single quotes ''.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Naruto so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Braining**

"We have a lot of work to do," Iruka stated looking at the three Genin in disappointment. "Some of the problems brought to my attention during your stay on the island are rather easy to fix. However, giving you the easy fix before you even realize what the problem is would be pointless. While Kakashi is going over everyone else's reports on your behavior, why don't you tell me how you would evaluate each other?"

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked nervously.

"What do you think went wrong on the island?"

"We weren't prepared to work together," Sakura finally admitted after several minutes of awkward silence.

'Blossom and Bastard don't listen to me,' Naruto signed angrily.

"Yes, we noticed that," Iruka responded.

"Noticed what?" Sakura asked.

"That. You two haven't adjusted to the fact that Naruto can't talk and so you aren't giving him a break during which he can respond. And neither of you is looking for those responses so he ends up with no input in the team whatsoever."

"Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed that Naruto only resorted to throwing rocks at them once. It was more amusing than seeing him catch them off guard by tapping them on the shoulder."

"Kakashi I thought you were studying the reports today," Iruka stated, turning around to frown at the Jounin.

"I am. I just stopped by to check on how this was going," Kakashi replied. "You aren't keeping them for long today, are you?"

"No. Only another hour or so. I have to take Naruto back over to Hokage tower to meet with one of the medics on his case," Iruka replied.

"Another hour? Good, I'll just wait here and leave with you, that should make me two hours late," Kakashi decided, sitting down on the couch opposite his students.

Iruka glared at him for a moment before turning back to the three Genin. "It's a pity you have such a horrible example of what a real shinobi is," he lamented for them. "Now where were we?"

'Blossom and Bastard are idiots.'

"That wasn't nice Naruto. And it wasn't completely true either. Try to be objective for today," Kakashi suggested. "You can always insult them more later."

"Moving on," Iruka sighed turning back to Sakura and Sasuke. The latter was glaring at Naruto and Kakashi, but Sakura at least looked properly reprimanded.

"Maybe we would have listened to the dobe if he had had anything useful to suggest," Sasuke retorted.

"Funny, I don't remember either of you having to gather food the entirety of your time on the island," Kakashi muttered.

"Now you're just instigating a fight," Iruka sighed. "This isn't going to work. Sakura, Sasuke there are books on sign language for you to take home with you. You're giving them a week before their next meeting right?"

Kakashi nodded and added, "We'll meet back here in a week. By that time if you can't converse properly with Naruto I'll suspend training another week. The more time I suspend training the longer I will hold you back from promotions. Continue your own personal training during that week, and Sakura remember to talk to Sanzo about Ikko Akechi."

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

"What did the medic say?" the Sandaime asked later that afternoon. Iruka and Kakashi had shown up in his office four hours after Kakashi had been due. Not that the Sandaime had minded; his impending meeting had given him an excuse to keep Konohamaru out of the office.

"He doesn't know what's causing it. And since Naruto had no clue what we were talking about we couldn't learn anything about what was happening," Iruka admitted.

"And the meeting with the Genin?"

"Would have gone better had Kakashi not arrived and encouraged Naruto to insult his teammates," Iruka muttered.

"And Naruto is, where?"

"Training," Iruka answered again.

"Well then, on to business. While waiting for Kakashi to arrive, I took the liberty of reading through the reports Anko, Kotetsu and Izumo submitted. I believe Kakashi has glanced over them and in order to save time I'd like to just summarize them for you right now, you can read them later," the Sandaime said waiting for Iruka's approval of the plan.

When Iruka nodded the Sandaime picked up the three reports in front of him. "In general, the critiques weren't bad. You and Kakashi will be harder on the Genin than the rest of us. Kotetsu and Izumo both expressed concern with the health of all three Genin: they claimed they looked underweight. They also complained about their uniforms; while we are not particularly strict with our Genin, they felt that especially Sakura and Naruto should look into something different for missions. Aside from that, the main thing they noticed on the island was the stubbornness that prevented the three from working together properly. And for Naruto and Sasuke, pride that supposedly caused the majority of their mistakes. I don't suppose any of these had escaped your notice."

"No, I convinced Kakashi to give them a week off to monitor Sakura and Sasuke's eating habits. I can control Naruto's now that he's staying with me, but if Sakura and Sasuke aren't eating correctly other steps will have to be taken. The rest will have to be dealt with during training," Iruka responded.

The Sandaime nodded and continued, "Anko's report was a bit kinder and more in depth. She claims, 'Uchiha and Sakura don't pay enough attention to their teammate. Naruto's fighting is messy but he makes a clever use of his environment against his opponents. Somebody tell that kid to stop scowling.' I think she was talking about Sasuke there. 'That girl needs a life.' Sakura obviously. 'Please, please make him laugh it's too depressing that he isn't even smiling.' Naruto I suppose. 'Get him out of those dumb clothes.' That could be Naruto or Sasuke she wasn't very clear. 'I hope they torture Kakashi for what he's doing to them. Kakashi and Iruka need to…' we'll ignore that last one for now it has nothing to do with the Genin."

By the time the Sandaime had finished Iruka was trying to reign in his laughter and Kakashi was torn between glaring at Iruka and hunting down Anko and feeding her to his dogs. "Please tell me those were her actual statements and that I will eventually be able to show them to Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke?" Iruka asked calming down enough to gasp out his question.

"They are, and you can once Kakashi allows it," the Hokage told him in complete seriousness. Iruka was still trying to figure out how the elderly man had been able to say everything he had with a straight face and without intonation. "That being said, I have several suggestions for the two of you, but please remember that it is up to you to decide how to mold them. The first is to seriously consider their comments about the dietary needs of your students; I understand that you are already looking into this, but try not to let it fall off of your radar. Both Naruto and Sasuke, as orphans, have fended for themselves and even if Sasuke eats more than Naruto, whether or not he is eating correctly is always questionable. I've been forced to send Sanzo on more missions lately and that has left Sakura on her own. Many of the kunoichi in her year, and the younger years, have been gripped with fad diets and without her father to balance that out she may need more attention than the other two.

"Also consider their comments on uniform. I normally encourage my shinobi in their individuality; however, especially for Naruto in his current state, blending in is becoming more important. For Naruto to truly blend in, it may also be best if his teammates change at least slightly as well so that they blend in better with the older Genin. And for purely practical reasons, the more professional they look the more clients will trust them once they start doing missions.

"Lastly, and I assume you are already planning to work with them on this, their communication must improve. The fault cannot be completely placed on Sasuke and Sakura as this is quite an adjustment. Naruto needs to learn more patience to cope with his handicap."

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

"Just remember the blow must always be the final one. It has to incapacitate them because a skilled enough opponent who can keep their head after the injury will be able to use it to escape the genjutsu and you'll lose you're edge."

Sakura nodded as she processed her father's words and closed her eyes to concentrate. She couldn't understand how Kakashi could have known about this jutsu let alone how he expected her to be able to learn it as a Genin. But not even Sakura would deny that she had a competitive streak and Naruto and Sasuke had set it off during their sparring matches. They both easily out did her physically and she had the feeling that had jutsu been allowed in the matches she would have been out even faster. But, she grinned, _judging by their performance at tree climbing, neither has good chakra control, which means they both probably suck at genjutsu. At least until Sasuke develops the sharingan, I'll have leg up on them._

Although she wasn't sure if it was worth the trouble she had had to go through to convince her father that she was capable of learning a jutsu which she didn't actually believe she was capable of learning. "That will be true for all genjutsu you learn in the future. Pain is one of the most successful counters to the majority of genjutsu. Now show me the seals again."

Sakura nodded again and went through the hand seals without putting any chakra into the jutsu. "Good. I think you've got the general theory and method down. The real problem for you is going to be the chakra. Until I give you the go, don't use this in training with anyone but me. And when you start missions don't use it unless you absolutely have to. This could almost wipe out your reserves at their current level."

Sakura pouted and she heard her father laugh at her. "I'm just being honest with you. Now that you're a Genin I want you to take this seriously and that means understanding your strengths and your weaknesses."

"Yeah and the second list is growing by the day according to Kakashi-sensei," Sakura muttered back, dropping her arms and turning to look at her father.

"That means he's already doing more than your Academy sensei did for you," Sanzo muttered back to his daughter.

"Iruka-sensei never had a problem with it," Sakura retorted feeling oddly defensive of her former teachers.

"Umino Iruka? Of course he would. I'm talking about the other teachers, especially those Kunoichi they put you with. I swear if any of them had field experience for anything over D Rank I'd be shocked. I never could understand why the 'feminine arts' were so important; it's wasn't like more than a fourth of kunoichi graduates would ever need them for espionage."

"Yamanaka-san told Ino that it was because they don't expect more than a fifth of the kunoichi to rise above Genin level. Eventually they all quit and the training is more of an alternative than anything else," Sakura explained.

"Maybe if they'd focus a little more on teaching you how to be shinobi, the girls wouldn't get so bored with it and take up those alternatives. If Tsunade-hime had stayed you would all have a better influence to look up to," Sanzo sighed in response.

Sakura shrugged and waited until her father's back was turned before running through the hand seals. Her father froze momentarily and Sakura lost her concentration in the excitement of actually having successfully performed the jutsu.

Her father turned around as the jutsu dropped and eyed Sakura curiously. After a moment he motioned for her to walk with him muttering, "You've come pretty far for just a week."

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

"Very good Naruto."

Naruto beamed over at Iruka and was rewarded by Iruka reaching down to ruffle his hair. "The Sandaime wants to see your progress today. So, after your meeting with your team, Kakashi is going to take you over to his office."

'Where will you be?'

"At the Academy. I have to stop in for a meeting, but I'll be back later to fix whatever Kakashi does with you three," Iruka assured him leaning back in his chair.

"I'm not that bad."

Iruka's eyes widened and he lost his balance as his chair tilted too far backwards. As Iruka fell, Naruto stood up and pointed at Kakashi accusingly. "Can't you use the door?" Iruka bit out, standing back up and lowering Naruto's arm.

"I used the door. You were just too distracted to notice," Kakashi countered.

"What would I have…you know what never mind. You stay here with Naruto until your students show up. I'm heading over to the Academy," Iruka stated standing up.

'Nice work Pervert.'

"Thank you Naruto."

Naruto rolled his eyes and looked up long enough to wave goodbye to Iruka as the older man walked out the door. 'When do they get here?'

"Sasuke will be here…now," Kakashi said standing up as he heard Iruka speaking with someone at the front door. "And Sakura will be here in a few minutes. I saw her on her way over here, but she looked a bit…woogly."

Naruto blinked at him waiting for a better explanation but Kakashi went back to ignoring him. Getting fed up with it he walked over to one of the kitchen drawers and pulled out of pad of paper. Scribbling /Woogly?/ on it, he shoved the pad under Kakashi's nose and tapped his foot expectantly.

"I don't know how else to describe her. She was boneless and looked completely lost on her feet," Kakashi replied, glancing up and motioning for Sasuke to take a seat as he entered the kitchen. Sasuke glared at the white haired man balefully as he sat down.

'Why are you angry?' Naruto asked, making sure to wave his hands wildly in front of Sasuke's face to catch his attention first. He waited patiently for an answer but Sasuke only transferred his glare onto Naruto.

"If you understood him, answer him. If you didn't go back home and study more," Kakashi stated.

"I'm angry because this is looking like it's going to turn into another wasted day. I get more done training on my own," Sasuke growled.

"We haven't started your training yet. I'm still testing you," Kakashi retorted.

"We haven't learned anything new," Sasuke retorted.

'Tree climbing,' Naruto signed, once again shoving his hands in front of Sasuke's face.

"Would you stop doing that," Sasuke stated, turning to Naruto again.

'You won't listen to me.'

"Yes I will. Just stop shoving your hands in my face and find a different way to get my attention."

Naruto glared at his teammate and Kakashi watched in amusement as the blond launched into a tirade of every insult he knew in sign language, and quite a few that Kakashi assumed were Naruto's original creations. "We'll be handling that later in the week. Your chakra control has to be better first," he stated once Naruto had run out of steam.

Both boys turned to glare at him but they were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Hmm, that took longer than I thought it would," Kakashi muttered to himself as he went to let Sakura in.

A moment later, he returned with Sakura twitching behind him. "What happened to you?" Sasuke asked.

"Thick-brows," Sakura uttered barely containing the increased twitching of her eyebrows. Kakashi coughed suspiciously but ignored his students questioning looks as he led Sakura to the table before taking the last chair himself.

"Sakura, Sasuke, for the rest of the day you two are forbidden from speaking. You will use sign language only. If I am satisfied then we will schedule training for tomorrow. If I'm not, you'll have another week off," he stated.

Sakura snapped back to attention and was about to retort when Naruto reached over and slapped a hand over her mouth. When he was certain she wouldn't speak he removed his hand and signed, 'If you speak he'll decide he isn't happy.'

Sakura's eyes widened and she settled for turning to Kakashi with a glare before nodding for him to continue. "Today we are going to discuss you. Your normal personal training. Preferences in the shinobi arts. What you see as your strengths and weaknesses. And most importantly, my opinions about each of you. If you did your homework, you should have no problems with this. If I'm happy with what I'm hearing, I'll take you out to the training grounds and teach you something new." The three Genin frowned but didn't bother arguing with him as they waited for him to begin the conversation.

"Good. We'll start with Sakura. Aside from training with your father in the evenings, what training did you do this week?"

Sakura frowned wondering how he knew when she had trained with her father but shrugged it off and moved to answer. 'One hundred sit ups and push ups, three times a day. I noticed that I was slower than them, so I ran five kilometers twice a day to improve speed. I read about genjutsu and practiced chakra control.'

"Good. Sasuke?"

'One hundred sit ups and push ups four times a day. I ran ten kilometers in the mornings and ten at night. I practiced taijutsu, chakra control and the Katon jutsu that I know.'

"Good. Naruto?"

Naruto frowned and scratched the back of his head a bit nervously before starting. 'I run twenty kilometers and do two hundred sit ups and push ups in the morning. Then I work on chakra control and do one hundred more sit ups and push ups,' he paused and noticed Kakashi trying not to laugh at the scowl forming on Sasuke's face. 'After that Sensei made me read boring books. Then I went out, ran to the training ground, and ran another ten kilometers. I practiced with my kunai and shuriken, sparred with one of my clones, and did another two hundred sit-ups and push-ups.'

"Good. Now let me help you make a few adjustments. Sakura add another five kilometers dedicated solely to improving speed. Time yourself everyday and try to improve your time weekly. Actually, that goes for each of you. I want each of you doing a total of three hundred sit ups and push ups each day no more no less; we'll up your strength training by using weights. We'll go over weapons training later, but each of you should be spending some time with it on your own. Keep working on chakra control; tree climbing will help you increase stamina as well so Sakura especially should be working with that. From now on, even when we aren't meeting on that day, you three need to meet and follow the same sparring pattern I set for you while you were on the island.

"Also I'm getting a sense from the three of you for your preferences. Sakura you're leaning towards genjutsu even more now. Sasuke is still focused on ninjutsu. Naruto right now you're favoring taijutsu. Any plans for expanding elsewhere?"

'I want more ninjutsu,' Naruto signed still managing to appear whiny enough that Kakashi almost winced.

'I want to improve taijutsu,' Sakura added.

"Alright. You're beginning to sound more like three Genin I can work with. I have to run Naruto over to see the Sandaime, but I'm not done with you three yet. Be at the meeting spot from three weeks ago in an hour and we'll head down to the training field. For now you two are free to speak, but when we join you again I want to hear nothing out of you."

Without another word, Kakashi ushered all three out of Iruka's house and took off down the street dragging Naruto behind him. Sakura hesitated momentarily before catching Sasuke by the arm. "Umm, do you wanna go get lunch or something before heading over to the meeting place?"

"No," Sasuke responded apathetically.

"Please? I mean we don't have to get lunch or anything if you aren't hungry. We could just spar or something at the Academy. Or…or we could go to the library and try to figure out what Kakashi-sensei is going to teach us," she suggested, glancing down the street reluctantly.

Sasuke eyed her suspiciously and sighed. "Did Kakashi-sensei tell you to do this? You sound more desperate than usual."

Sakura was momentarily elated that Sasuke had paid enough attention to recognize an abnormal tone in her voice before she remembered her original reason. "It's just that…look my dad's old student is over this morning for this sparring session they planned last night at dinner and to be completely honest he freaks me out. I don't want to go home so I'm asking if you want to do something productive in the hour until we meet Naruto and Kakashi-sensei instead of going off and doing whatever you do alone," she told him trying not to fidget too much under his glare.

"I'm productive enough on my own," Sasuke countered turning to leave.

"That doesn't mean you can't be more productive with my help. Look, you're the better shinobi, but even you can't deny that I'm smarter and I have better chakra control. There has to be something I can help you with just to take up an hour of our time so that I don't have to go home," she persisted.

Sasuke's glare deepened but he hesitated and Sakura picked up on it enough to turn to him hopefully. "Help me with sign language. I'm still not up to yours or Naruto's level," Sasuke finally decided not want to admit he wanted her help on anything to do with shinobi arts.

"Alright!"

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

An hour later, the Sandaime escorted Naruto and his Kakashi from his office claiming, "Your progress has been remarkable. I'll leave it up to Iruka and Kakashi now." He glanced down the hall suspiciously and then back to Naruto pulling out a small book and handed it to the blond adding quietly, "Don't tell Iruka."

Naruto grinned and took the book from the Hokage not even bothering to fight Kakashi as he pushed down the hall in front of the white haired man. "Where did you send Sakura and Sasuke?" the Hokage asked.

"I just told them to go home for an hour."

The Hokage frowned and tapped his finger on his pipe. "You do know that Kotetsu and Izumo left to take care of that favor an hour ago, don't you?"

"An hour ago? Weren't they supposed to have finished an hour ago?" Kakashi muttered turning to head towards Naruto. "Mah…this could be bad."

'What could?' Naruto asked.

Kakashi smiled down at him and shook his head refusing to answer as Naruto continued to question him all the way to the bridge where they were to meet Sakura and Sasuke. "Oh good you're both here and you aren't glaring me at yet," Kakashi said greeting his wayward students.

'Should we be glaring at you?' Sakura asked almost forgetting to use sign language but correcting herself just in time.

"No. You three just happen to do that a lot," Kakashi reasoned smiling sweetly at her. The dread was beginning to grow in Sakura's stomach as Kakashi led them towards their training ground.

"Well since we met so early today and your training regimes were interrupted, start by running five laps and doing fifty sit ups and push ups," he told them. As they took off, he muttered to himself, "Time to wear them out."

When Sakura finally returned home that night, she was bruised and scratched and her clothing was torn and muddy. Kakashi had had the three spend an hour climbing trees before setting them about using chakra to hang from the trees by their hands. It had been easier to channel but it was still tiring and her arms kept falling asleep from remaining in one position for so long. After that, he had forced them to run sprints for half an hour and then they sparred. First against each other and then against him. Instead of letting them leave after that, he had set them about tree climbing again. Once they were nice and sick of that he had forced them to work on their stealth and for every time he found one of them in less than five minutes they had to work on tree climbing for another half an hour. By the time the three had successfully hid for five minutes it was after dark and Iruka was sitting patiently at the side of the clearing trying desperately not to laugh at the three Genin. Instead of inviting them out for dinner, he had ordered all three to go home and go to bed. Kakashi had only reminded them to meet at the bridge the next morning.

Sakura had been too tired to even make it up the stairs to her room. She had entered the house and collapsed on the couch. When her father came out of the kitchen a half hour later he carried her up to her room, moving the outfit on the bed over to her chair and placing her under the covers. As an after thought, he closed the empty closet and drawers before going to sleep himself to prepare for the racket his daughter would make when she woke the next morning. A part of him wondered if he should warn the neighbors before he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

AS: There isn't any real reason to leave you guys here, but I think this ending is funnier so I'm cutting the chapter in half. The rest should be posted soon. 

Woogly: Imagine Kakashi doing Orlando Bloom's impression of Jack Sparrow from the first Pirates of the Caribbean.

Also if their training seems a bit much just remember that all three have been repeatedly belittled by Kakashi and feel they have something to prove (that and Naruto and Sasuke are just a bit power crazy).

Thanks for all the reviews:

_Kage Husha,_ _Tonya S.,_ _Nocena T. Calamus,_ _DarkRavie,_ _Doc Destructo,_ _Weavers,_ _Riani Fitria,_ _ArmchairANBU,_ _mikatsuki.arashi,_ _SoujiroWannabe,_ _AznPuffyHair,_ _Gothic Kacie,_ _Gods Not Home Right Now,_ _VenomLord,_ _Lachwen,_ _Blue Bragon,_ _shikamaru the nerd,_ _Azamiko,_ _MeghanthePagan,_ _ConanRankatygohvidgottru,_ _stoictimer,_ _berkie88,_ _Alchemist Pac,_ _badlevel50percent,_ _panuru4u,_ _japanese-jew._

I hope I answered all of your questions but I honestly can't remember, so if any of you needed a response and didn't get it just send me an email and point out that you need a response so that I don't forget to answer your question this time.


	9. Braining II

Agent's Spiel: I'm not positive but I think alerts were down when I posted the first half of this chapter so if you don't remember reading anything after they get off the island you should check out the chapter before this first. This also stopped me from getting some reviews before I posted that so I apologize, I think I've caught up with everyone but I'm not sure.

And here's the second half!

There are a few spoilers if you haven't read Kakashi-Gaiden so you have now been forewarned.

And if you were confused by the training regiment, see the note at the bottom.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language; I'll probably use more than one form of sign language but I'll denote that in the sentence, it will still be within single quotes ''.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Naruto so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

[Edited 11/2/07

* * *

**Braining**

Sakura took a calming breath and promised herself she would not panic. _I'm just dreaming. All that training yesterday is messing with my head. This is just a nightmare. I'll lay back down and when I really wake up my clothes will be here…wait I can't normally hold an inner monologue when I'm dreaming, can I?_

"DADDY!"

When her father appeared in her doorway a moment later, hair still mussed with sleep but not a wisp of surprise on his face, she knew she wasn't dreaming. "What happened to my stuff?"

"Two young Chuunin were here yesterday morning about an hour after you left for training. They said your sensei had sent them, something about training. They left that for you," he explained pointing to the outfit he had moved to the chair the night before.

"But where is my stuff?"

"I'm not sure about that. Maybe they hid it and you have to find it. Your sensei probably knows. By the way, who is your sensei?"

"You'll know in half an hour when the Hokage announces his death," Sakura growled throwing on the funerary garb that had been left behind for her to wear for the day. Without another word or even bothering to touch her hair, Sakura stormed out of her house and towards the bridge.

She knew she wasn't the only victim when she found Naruto and Sasuke there, both wearing funerary clothes as well and fuming silently. She actually jumped at the glare Naruto sent her way when he heard her coming but his face softened slightly and he signed, 'I thought you were Pervert.'

"All three of you are here already?"

The first thing Iruka noticed was that all three Genin were glaring at him. The second was that they looked very unhappy. The third was that Sakura and Sasuke must have rocketed from their houses as quickly as Naruto had because he could tell that none of them had brushed their hair and Sasuke and Naruto were missing their forehead protectors, which coincidentally was the only reason he had actually made a detour – a very, very long detour – that morning so that he could bring Naruto his. Now that he was in front of the three though, he was beginning to regret that. He was also beginning to wonder if he should cool them down a bit before Kakashi arrived because as funny as that would be he was sure Kakashi would only rile them up more and then he would end up with a fussy Naruto, Sakura's father would be dealing with a very pissed off adolescent girl and Sasuke would train himself to death.

"Alright, you three come with me," he sighed setting off for Hokage tower. If he was lucky he would be able to catch someone in the mission room to watch the three until they had calmed down.

They were just entering the tower when Anko walked out the door and nearly knocked Naruto down. Her eyes widened in surprise and she smiled down at him as she reached out to steady him. When she recognized Sakura, she waved and said, "Hey pinky! Kakashi done anything else to your hair?"

"No. He stole all my clothes though," Sakura muttered.

"Eh?"

"Now really that isn't fair. _I_ didn't steal them. Kotetsu and Izumo did. And why aren't you three at the bridge?"

Iruka turned around to glare at him and stepped in front of the Genin, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder hoping to stop the boy from growling. "I brought them here because I knew seeing you would only make them angrier. Whatever you have planned you can do tomorrow," he stated.

"And give back our clothes," Sasuke added.

"Yeah. And Naruto says he's changing your name from Pervert to…I don't think I'm allowed to say that out loud Naruto," Sakura said, trailing off and looking at Naruto in surprise. _Didn't Iruka-sensei say they were trying to stem Naruto's bad language…I think it's just gotten worse._

"Hmm…well you see, I told Kotetsu and Izumo to take your clothes so that you would have to get new training clothes for missions. Clothes that would make you look more professional. But it turns out they weren't really listening to me when I told them what to do. Which is why you have nothing but what you're wearing right now. It also turns out that instead of boxing up the clothes like I told them to, they…well they burned it all."

"They…they burned all of my things?" Sakura whimpered.

"Unfortunately yes," Kakashi stated. "I already dealt with them and they will be making up for it by donating part of their wages to helping you three replenish your wardrobes. I had been planning on letting you three spend today shopping because I was sure Sakura would enjoy it, but if Iruka says you can't then I guess you can't."

"Now wait a minute I just said they couldn't be around you," Iruka countered before the Genin could turn on him.

"Damn Kakashi. You are seriously the most evil sensei I have ever witnessed. And this is from someone who's sensei tried to kill her," Anko interrupted looking between the Genin and Kakashi and trying not to laugh. "Ooh, ooh I know. Let me take them shopping! I got stuck with a really boring mission this morning and this will let me turn it down," she added eagerly a moment later.

"No," Kakashi stated. "I want them to look professional. You'll put Naruto back in orange and who knows what you'll do to the other two. At best you might just put Sakura back in that bikini top you used to wear."

"I liked that top," Anko insisted.

"At least it was more interesting than a mask," Iruka muttered. "You know what. Wait five minutes while I tell the others to cover for me and I'll go with them to make sure Anko doesn't cause too much damage. And Kakashi I hope you know that what Kotetsu and Izumo aren't covering, you are."

"Well that was the plan. But really they are my students; shouldn't I be dealing with them?"

"No," Iruka, Sakura, and Sasuke insisted. Naruto followed it up with a rather rude gesture and Anko stifled her giggles.

"Umm," Kakashi muttered scratching his head in confusion. "Why not?"

"You said you wanted them to look professional. Besides they're still angry with you, anything you suggest will be turned down," Iruka rationalized.

Kakashi didn't look pleased with the prospect but he shrugged it off. "On two conditions: first, no orange or bright red and white unless they are very small quantities, and two, enough layers or combinations that they will be suitable for multiple climates. You two should be able to handle that. This free afternoon gives me the chance to start on the new book that came out," he decided, muttering the last bit to himself.

Iruka rolled his eyes but Anko looked flabbergasted. "When did a new book come out?" she cried moving in front of Kakashi and looking up at him.

"It came through special order yesterday. It doesn't come out officially for another two weeks," Kakashi answered his eye crinkling thoughtfully for a moment before he added, "I might just be able to find an extra copy for you if you make sure Iruka doesn't spend too much of my money on them."

"Deal!" Anko shouted eagerly. Kakashi nodded more to himself then to the group in front of him and walked past them and into the tower.

"Alright I only need a little time to take care of business in the mission room. Why don't you head back into town and get something to eat? Anko don't let them eat ramen…and no dango," Iruka told her.

"No dango," Anko muttered sadly turning to see a similar pout on Naruto's face.

"Hmm…well since our favorite foods are out, what do you two want for breakfast?" she asked slinging an arm over Naruto's shoulders and turning to look at Sakura and Sasuke. When neither gave any answer aside from a shrug, she sighed and said, "Let's just go look around and see if anything catches our stomachs' attention.

When Iruka found them twenty minutes later, Anko and Sakura were happily munching on dango while Naruto and Sasuke were half way through their first bowls of ramen. "I should have known," he muttered sitting down next to Naruto and waving off the chef. Naruto grinned up at him and finished his bowl with a loud slurp. He moved to order another one, but Iruka put his hand down and shook his head, "One is enough."

'But it's so good,' Naruto reasoned.

"I don't care."

Naruto pouted and Iruka sighed pulling the blond off the stool and keeping him in front of him while Sasuke finished his bowl. Once Anko and Sakura had finished and joined them he decided to start. "I know you three are angry about this, but do you at least understand what Kakashi's goals are?"

All three looked up at him in confusion and Sakura muttered, "He doesn't like bright colors?"

"Why wouldn't he like bright colors?"

"You kept saying we needed to look more professional," Sakura added. "I guess what we were wearing made us look... bad around clients."

"She's got the general idea," Anko muttered. "Aside from the rules Kakashi set out, do you have any other suggestions for what you all should be wearing?"

"Well…we're supposed to be helping Naruto blend in, right? Doesn't that mean we should all blend together?" Sakura suggested.

"Yes it does, how would you go about doing that?" Iruka asked, letting her take the lead.

"Well we should avoid wearing anything that draws attention to any of us, even if we were doing so to try and pull attention off of him. If one of us catches attention and he doesn't, that would look suspicious. But we're still rookies, and rookies don't normally conform right away."

"Can we pass as non-rookies?" Sasuke asked grudgingly.

"Doubtful. You're all small for your age and even if you get a lot stronger you probably shouldn't display too much of that because that will just attract trouble," Iruka told them.

"There is of course a second option: nonconformity," Anko added.

"But you just said," Sakura trailed off in confusion.

"No, you just said. You do have to blend in, but the three of you have 'need to stand out' written into your genetics. You have to learn to play both sides. Sasuke is an Uchiha. Naruto is a notorious troublemaker. And you are a smartass, Daddy's girl who screams – on most days – I spend way too much time on my hair and need my teammates to protect me. What you need to learn to do is to exploit aspects of that," Anko told her.

'But they aren't supposed to know it's me,' Naruto signed.

"Exactly. And to be honest, they shouldn't know Sasuke is an Uchiha either. You three want to memorable only for being outrageous. Be memorable as a team, not as individuals," Anko continued.

"I don't really think there is anything we could all pull off," Sakura muttered looking at her teammates frowning.

"You're misunderstanding me. You don't need to dress identical, that would be conforming. This is going to take more than just clothing if you want to pull it off. Clothes are just the starting point," Anko stated.

"So we have to act completely different," Sasuke replied not looking at all pleased with the current conversation.

"Not at all. You just have to agree to accentuate certain aspects of your personality when in public. When you're with your teammates, and Sakura when you're with your father you can go back to normal," Iruka suggested. "Like Anko said, each of you is already recognizable to those who know you and to some who don't."

"But if you ask me, none of you are particularly happy with the way you're seen anyways. If you were, you wouldn't care as much about the way Kakashi has been criticizing you. You also wouldn't be agreeing to the change in the first place. Any of you going to argue with me on that point?" Anko asked. When none of the Genin could do anything but shift uncomfortably on their feet she nodded. "Don't worry it happens to all of us. So let's go back to talking about what changes you should make. Aside from color, what have you noticed about each others' clothing that you think should change?"

"Well you said we need to make sure people don't see us for who we were, right?" Sakura asked glancing nervously at Sasuke. "Maybe Sasuke shouldn't use his clan symbol. Especially since he hasn't awakened the Sharingan and if anyone recognizes the symbol that will be all they expect," she suggested nervously.

Sasuke glared offensively but Iruka and Anko nodded thoughtfully. "What about colors?" Iruka asked

"Why don't you two just tell us what to wear so that we can get this over with?" Sasuke grumbled.

"Because, if they do everything for us then we won't learn. It's the same reason Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei tried to get us to figure out what went wrong on the island. Just telling us what we're doing wrong isn't enough, we have to agree that something is wrong in order to try and fix it; that happens more quickly if we figure it out ourselves," Sakura explained meekly.

'You're not going to make us wear black, are you?' Naruto pouted.

"Neh, black is boring. Besides the only shinobi in the village who wears black outside of ANBU missions is Morino Ibiki and he's a scary hard-ass who was also the Yondaime's teammate," Anko told him. "Black screams badass and we want you guys to be more subtle than that."

"You've been in on this the whole time, haven't you?" Sakura finally asked.

"Well not the whole time. I just thought it was funny that Kakashi finally accepted a team. By the end of this I won't be the only person drawn into seeing how much he messes up," she joked.

"You aren't exactly instilling confidence of their sensei in them," Iruka deadpanned.

"That's what you're here for," she retorted.

Naruto watched the two for a moment before tapping Sakura on the shoulder. 'This is scary,' he signed to her.

"That's one way of phrasing it," she whispered back.

"Well then, let's get going. To make it up to the three of you and replace some of your everyday clothing we'll even let you get one or two things that are orange or red or whatever you want," Anko offered.

"But we have to replace everything," Sakura reminded her.

"We'll take care of all of it, don't worry," Iruka assured her.

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

By the time they found Kakashi lounging outside the administration building that night, Anko was eagerly awaiting the retrieval of the newest edition of the _Icha Icha_ series and the three Genin were looking forward to taking their new clothing home and sleeping off a days worth of shopping. Kakashi looked up expectantly and was happy to note that each of the Genin was only holding two bags worth of clothing. "I hope this means that Iruka didn't spend all of my money on them," he said.

"No," Iruka laughed holding out a receipt for Kakashi. "This is all you owe me and you can take from that whatever Kotetsu and Izumo owe."

Kakashi looked over it and nodded before pulling a book out and handing it to Anko. Once she had the book firmly in her hands she pulled out a second much longer receipt and handed it to Kakashi. "This is what you owe me," she told him grinning.

"Excuse me?"

"Well you told me to make sure Iruka didn't spend too much of your money, and he didn't. I couldn't really help myself though," she grinned. Even Sasuke cracked a small grin at Kakashi's flabbergasted face.

"I should have expected this from you Anko," Kakashi finally sighed. "Fine, you three meet at the bridge tomorrow morning at seven. Make sure that you've already done your daily training by then. And bring something you can swim in," he finally said turning to the three Genin.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke nodded to him and Sakura and Sasuke turned to leave when the Hokage walked over. "Oh good you're still here," he said taking a puff of his pipe. "Sakura your father wasn't able to find you this afternoon so I told him I'd pass on word to you that he would be gone on a mission for the next day or two," he told her.

Sakura frowned and sagged slightly but perked up when Kakashi spoke. "Hmm…it's getting late. Take the stuff you've got with you and drop off at home and then head over to Iruka's. I'll bring food for you guys, maybe then you won't still hate me tomorrow," he told them.

"Kakashi, if you would take Naruto with you, I need to speak with Iruka momentarily," the Sandaime added as they turned to walk down the street. Iruka turned back curiously and the Hokage motioned for him to follow. "Did they get everything they needed?" the Hokage asked as they entered his office.

"Yes, they cooperated with only a few complaints. More from Sasuke than the other two actually," Iruka answered.

"That doesn't surprise me. He's the reason I asked you to meet with me. I spoke with Kakashi this afternoon while you were with the trio. Sasuke appears to be opening up to his teammates but he is concerned by his solitary habits. He still clings to all reminders of his clan, and while this isn't odd, it may become unhealthy especially with Itachi still out there."

"I understand what you're getting at, but we can't just force him to let all that go," Iruka argued.

"No we can't. But he can be shown an alternative. After the death of his father, had Minato not come along Kakashi would be much worse than he is today and far beyond even his behavior as a young Genin and Chuunin. Sasuke will be worse if he isn't given an anchor within Konoha, something other than revenge," the Sandaime insisted.

"That's why you cleared Anko so quickly. I had been wondering why Kakashi was allowing her to be so involved, but it would make sense given her history. She can empathize with Sasuke as much as Kakashi can."

"And with Naruto even more so," the Sandaime added, pleased that Iruka had figured out at least part of it.

"What happened to her being a 'bit of a loud mouth'?" Iruka asked jokingly.

"We had a long talk and she understands the situation to its full. When she is not on missions she has agreed to be available, should you or Kakashi need help with any of the three," the Hokage replied.

"I'll remember that. Is there anything else?" Iruka asked.

"I just thought you would like to know that I was visited by a number of teachers from the Academy begging me to reassign you back to the Academy. They're apparently a bit lost at the moment. I hope you don't mind but I told them you would be stopping by at the end of the week during our conferences."

"I can stop in as long Naruto will be with Kakashi," Iruka replied laughing.

"And Iruka, please consider what we talked about. If there are any financial concerns-"

Iruka cut him off by standing and shaking his head. "You put me back on my old wages so money really isn't a problem. The only way it would become one is if Naruto went back to eating nothing but ramen. I just think that would be too much of a shock for Sasuke right now with all the other changes being forced on him. I think all three of them need to adjust a bit more before anything like that is suggested," he told the Hokage.

The Sandaime nodded and dismissed Iruka, turning back to his paperwork.

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

Naruto finished putting away the rest of his new clothes and walked out of his room at Iruka's hoping that Iruka or even Kakashi had arrived. Kakashi had left him with Anko so that he could go get them food. As much as he found the crazy woman funny, especially in the way she played both Kakashi and Iruka, he hadn't ever seen before that morning when she offered to help. And even though she apparently knew Sakura, he wasn't sure he bought her explanation of why she was helping Iruka and Kakashi in the first place. _Then again, maybe I'm just listening to Kakashi-sensei too much and becoming paranoid,_ he thought, pouting a bit as he walked out to find Anko sitting on the couch engrossed in the book Kakashi had given her.

He looked at the cover suspiciously and tapped Anko on the shoulder. 'What is that?'

Anko snickered and patted the couch next to her for him to sit down. "This is the best book you will ever read. Unfortunately you are too young to read it and if Iruka finds out I think he'd probably kill me," she told him. "You upset you didn't get more orange," she asked when he pouted more.

'I like orange,' he signed defensively.

"Heh, don't worry. Once these first couple of weeks are over you'll be able to relax more. Kakashi's just putting the pressure on you three now to make sure you understand how important this stuff will be. Once you understand how you're supposed to behave on missions and things he'll give you more freedom on your own," she told him.

'But we aren't doing missions.'

"Not yet. You brats are luckier than you realize. First off, I can guarantee that when you start D class missions you won't be enjoying yourself. Secondly, the individual attention you're getting is more than most Genin receive. Trust me, it won't seem like it for a while, but when you go back and see your classmates, you'll notice the difference. You're being trained more like we were. We were trained for war, like real shinobi. Most Genin now are trained for menial tasks; it isn't until they become Chuunin and even Jounin that they get prepared for anything more," she explained.

Naruto frowned pensively and Anko mimicked him, sighing in exasperation. "And would you please stop frowning and smile once and a while. That shit with Mizuki was bad, and you have another hurdle to jump, but if you go around frowning all day that's just going to make you feel worse. You used to smile all the time and now you do nothing but sulk as much as Uchiha. Your life isn't over, be happy you survived," she told him seriously. Naruto grinned a little, nervously and Anko nodded. "It's a start," she added happily, "But none of that fake shit you keep trying with your teammates. We don't expect you to go back to the way you were before the attack."

'What about you?'

"What do you mean?" Anko asked in confusion.

'Your smile,' he signed looking at her in equal confusion as if he couldn't understand why she didn't get his question.

"What about it?"

'You smiled all day, but,' Naruto paused trying to think of the right word and eventually had to give up and go into the kitchen to find paper to write it down. /They glared at you. And why didn't Iruka teach me to sign that/

Anko swallowed a little nervously and sighed. "I think he was hoping that if he left that out you wouldn't think about it as much. It wasn't like he wanted you out in public that much anyways," she admitted.

'Why' Naruto sighed in frustration and picked up the paper again, writing/You said Kakashi-sensei was evil and that coming from you that meant something. /

"Yeah…my sensei was a jackass who betrayed the village," Anko admitted.

Naruto's eyes widened and he signed 'Sorry,' as he began to worry his lower lip between his teeth.

"Don't worry about it. Now help me give Iruka a heart attack by grabbing one of those comics the Sandaime keeps sneaking you," she told him changing the subject.

Eager for the chance to cause trouble, Naruto grabbed one of the older volumes the Hokage had given him – he now had four – and hurried back out to Anko. She grinned in response and motioned for him to move back onto the couch next to her as she expertly fitted Naruto's comic book inside her own book. "Now you have to promise to play along and look very interested in this. However, you also have to ignore everything I say because even the author would probably kill me if he learned that I was corrupting you this soon, deal?" she asked.

Naruto nodded and leaned in as Anko curiously flipped to the start of the volume and muttered, "He must have gotten this from Taro-san; it's not from the continent." Naruto looked up at her curiously but Anko was able to brush off his unspoken question when there was a knock on the door. "It's unlocked come on in," she shouted.

Naruto scowled up at her and signed, 'You don't know who it is. It might not be Blossom or Bastard or Pervert.'

"Oh I'm sure it's one of them. Blossom is Pinky right? And Bastard is Uchiha? Pervert…that's a good one," she muttered trailing off. "See I was right, it's both of them," she added, pointing to Sakura and Sasuke as they walked further into the house.

The other two looked at them curiously, well Sakura did, and Anko beckoned for them to walk over and take a seat. "We're playing a prank on Iruka, just sit down and don't say a word until he gets backed," she told them before turning back to Naruto. "You know this is actually kind of interesting. I mean it isn't about anything cool like ninja and demons – ignore the demon part," she told him.

"What are you reading?" Sakura asked suspiciously.

"The Sandaime is… 'rewarding' Naruto with comics. I'm going to pretend to read porn to him when Iruka comes in," Anko informed her matter-of-factly.

Sakura's eyebrows rose impressively on her large forehead and hissed, "Are you trying to tempt fate?"

"I don't believe in fate, that's a creation of crazy people…like the Hyuuga; they like to talk about it. I believe that if destiny is written in stone shinobi still don't have to worry about it because it doesn't take much to destroy stone," Anko answered, grinning at Sakura over the top of the little orange book.

Anko heard keys jingle in the lock a moment before the door opened and she made sure to project as she stated, "And then Jungo pursued the fair maiden to the river and offered to help wash off the salty, sticky-"

"Anko if you say another word I will kill you," Iruka growled staring at the sight in front of him in horror. "I would expect this of Kakashi but not of you."

"Hey wait a minute. I would never give Icha Icha Paradise to minors. And that isn't even a line in the book she just made that up," Kakashi added defensively walking up behind Iruka, holding two bags in his left hand and an identical little book in his right.

"Wait a minute, you already have it memorized?" Anko asked in admiration.

Iruka ignored and stepped over Sakura and Sasuke – who had sat down on the floor in front of Anko in a twisted imitation of story-time – and snatched the book out of Anko's hands. He blinked when he flipped it around and was brought face to face with animated characters with overzealously drawn muscles and bad hair styles, "This is…I hate you," he trailed off separating the comic from the book and throwing one back to Naruto and the other back to Anko. "Just don't read it around these three, you got it?" he told her moving towards the kitchen.

"Yes sir, Mr. Teacher Man. I hear they're getting awfully panicky at the Academy without you," Anko quipped standing up and grinning as she followed him into the kitchen.

"Why did you leave the Academy?" Sakura asked curiously as she, Sasuke, and Naruto followed Anko and Kakashi into the kitchen.

"I was only assigned there temporarily. I was part of the strategy department and the Sandaime some how decided that I would be of more use strategizing ways to improve the Academy during peacetime. In case you hadn't noticed while attending, the current system isn't exactly functioning correctly," he told them as Kakashi put the food on the table. "Not in here, there's a bigger table in the next room," Iruka told him pulling out plates.

"Why do you have so much room here? It's too big," Anko commented.

"It was my parents'. Unlike some people," he said glancing at Kakashi, "who burn houses to the ground, I put it to better use."

"It was decrepit," Kakashi retorted.

"The only thing decrepit was your state of mind. I read the report, you were drunk," Iruka shot back, leading the three giggling Genin into the larger dining area.

"You really burned down your parent's house?" Sakura finally managed to ask.

"It was very therapeutic," Kakashi informed her. "You should try it sometime Sasuke, you'll feel loads better," he added for the younger boy's benefit.

"I think I'll keep my house the way it is," Sasuke stated, trying not to glare at Kakashi.

'You have a house?' Naruto signed after waving his hands in front of Sasuke's face to catch his attention.

"Didn't I tell you to stop doing that?"

'Pervert told me to stick with it for the rest of the week,' Naruto grinned back.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned back only to find Sakura looking at him curiously. "Do you really have an entire house to yourself?"

"Of course," Sasuke snorted.

"Don't you have a guardian or something?" Sakura asked.

"Why do I need one?" Sasuke retorted a bit defensively.

"What about you Naruto?" Sakura asked in confusion.

Naruto shook his head and signed, 'Why?'

"I thought they always had guardians," Sakura muttered.

"They do. The Sandaime takes guardianship of all children born within the village that are orphaned and without either biological or adoptive families," Anko told her.

"How do you know that?" Sasuke asked her.

"He had custody of me until my Aunt was old enough to step in," Anko answered. "Your sensei was your guardian, right?" she asked Kakashi, gaining a nod and a glare from the white haired man.

"Am I the only one here who wasn't orphaned young?" Sakura asked in shock.

"That depends on your description of young. I was about your age when my parents died and I was already a Genin so I didn't need a guardian," Iruka told her.

"Genin don't have guardians?"

"Once a shinobi graduates to Genin they can technically live on their own. Most choose to wait until at least Chuunin; although orphans or wards will sometimes choose to branch off at that point and they'll still receive small monetary help along with their pay from missions," Iruka told her. "Crazy isn't it?"

"Yeah," Sakura told him a little flabbergasted.

"More than you wanted to know?" Anko asked.

"Actually I've always kind of wondered how they did it," Sakura admitted.

"How about a happier topic anyways," Anko suggested turning to Kakashi curiously. "Have you really memorized the new book already?"

"Of course, have you gotten to-"

He was cut off when Iruka threw a cup at his head. "How about something more appropriate for these three?" he suggested through gritted teeth.

"It's not actually inappropriate. They can be very educational books. Have the three of you been given the talk?" Kakashi asked, turning to the three blushing Genin, he actually had to do a double take when he realized that Sasuke was really blushing too. "I'll take that as a no. We'll have to handle that later."

"Is that why you wanted them to wear swimsuits tomorrow?" Anko asked causing the three Genin to blush even brighter.

"I hadn't thought of that. I could probably fit it in though," Kakashi muttered.

"I can't believe you two. They aren't going to be able to look at each other tomorrow," Iruka stated in disbelief.

"Well Naruto and Sasuke shouldn't have any trouble with each other," Anko assured him.

"Actually if I'm giving them the talk I should really cover all the corners. You never know what to expect from young boys nowadays," Kakashi thought aloud.

"True," Anko concurred, leaving Iruka gaping at them while Naruto and Sasuke blushed even deeper and Sakura tried to stifle her giggles.

Once Iruka had recovered, he hurried the three Genin through their meals and then back home, making sure Naruto was in bed before finally collapsing into a fit of laughter in front of Anko and Kakashi. After ascertaining that the Chuunin was not going insane, they waved goodbye and parted at the door, both a little relieved at how well the night had gone.

The next morning Kakashi showed up an hour late at the bridge. When three very pissed off and tired looking Genin first glared at him and Sakura shouted "You're late!" accusingly he was finally able to give one of the excuses he had planned just for them.

"Well you see I was almost here when I was assaulted by an odd green blob that kept shouting something about youth and springtime-"

"You ran into Maito-san?" Sakura asked twitching slightly.

"Oh that's right; I forgot you had met him. Just pretend I slept in," Kakashi told her. Sakura nodded thankfully and sighed in relief.

"So what are doing? And you should be thankful that Anko remembered to have us buy swimsuits yesterday because those two Chuunin burned those too," she told him.

Kakashi looked at them curiously for a moment before he took a risk and asked, "Did they leave anything for you guys?"

"Just the clothes we wore yesterday," Sakura answered.

"No wonder the bill was so much," Kakashi muttered. "Anyways, follow me to the river and we'll start your first official day of training. The rest of it was really just me messing with you," he giggled to himself.

"You do know you just said that out loud, right?" Sakura deadpanned.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Kakashi asked, turning around to look at her curiously.

Sakura groaned in response and pouted for the rest of their trip. Once they reached the river, Kakashi handed each of them a kunai and smiled. "Naruto should have almost no trouble with part of this little exercise since he caught most of your food while you were on the training island. To start, you have an hour to fill this basket to the brim with fish," he told them pointing to a rather large basket beside him.

"Where did that basket come from?" Sakura asked turning to her teammates.

Naruto shrugged and joined her in looking at Sasuke. "Don't look at me, I don't know either," he admitted turning away to hide his frown.

"Get to work," Kakashi told them.

"How is this training?" Sakura asked suspiciously.

"Patience is required," Kakashi explained.

The three Genin looked at each other and shrugged, moving towards the river. "The person who catches the most gets to pick what we eat for dinner tonight," Kakashi added as they plunged into the water. Within half an hour, the basket was full and the Genin were looking at him expectantly. "Well so much for patience," he muttered to himself.

"So who won?" Sakura asked, ignoring his statement. He shouldn't have made it a contest if he had wanted them to take their time.

"Umm…I thought you three were counting," Kakashi told her looking at the three a bit blankly.

All three gaped at him and Sasuke actually lost enough composure to groan at Kakashi's behavior. "Alright sorry 'bout that. Umm…work on tree climbing for about half an hour while I take these fish back to the village and then I'll teach you something new to make up for it," Kakashi offered.

The three Genin put their shoes back on and set about their task while Kakashi disappeared with the heavy basket of fish. When he returned half an hour later grinning suspiciously the three stopped and turned back to him expectantly. "Alright well normally you wouldn't even learn this until much later in your training, if you were even taught it before you were promoted to Chuunin. And I'm sure I'll get in trouble for even attempting to teach it to you now, but if you insist I suppose I'll have to risk it," Kakashi sighed, watching the three out of the corner of his eye. He frowned when he saw that they were all watching him eagerly, _Even Sasuke is interested, damn._

"I really don't think any of you will be able to master this anytime soon, but I'll teach you the theory and you can try for a while today before I come up with something else to do," he added hoping that theory would at least scare Naruto down. All his delaying did was make the Genin a bit more impatient.

"Fine follow me," Kakashi said walking towards the river and looking around. "We need a place with still water give me just a minute…ah there," he said pointing up stream. The three followed him as he walked towards the small puddle he had found. "It's shallow as well so that should actually make this a bit more possible for you three," he said walking out onto the puddle. It was less than a foot deep and would barely be large enough for the three Genin to stand shoulder to shoulder on it. "Any guesses on what I'm about to teach you?"

"Are you using a jutsu?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Nope."

Naruto looked at him in confusion for a moment before his eyes widened. 'Chakra. Like sticking to trees,' he signed in awe. Kakashi stared at the blond as if he had sprouted a second head and Naruto frowned. 'I'm not that dumb,' he signed to his sensei.

"Right sorry. Did either of you two catch what he said?" Kakashi asked gaining nods from his other students. "Do either of you know how he figured that out?" he asked. Naruto's face contorted in indignation and Kakashi held up his hands defensively. "That came out wrong. I meant does either of them understand the theory like you do," he explained.

Naruto calmed slightly, but he continued to scowl and glare darkly at Kakashi out of the corner of his eyes. Sakura glanced nervously at Naruto before speaking up, "Umm…I'm not sure it's the same thing as tree climbing. You aren't sticking to the water are you? It's more you're somehow supporting yourself on the surface; like changing the density so that you can still stand on it."

"Good. In tree climbing the chakra you emit is constant because you are sticking to a solid surface. In this you basically use chakra like Sakura said to make yourself float," Kakashi told them. "You have to emit chakra continuously but not always the same amount of chakra to counteract the effects of your bodyweight. Do you three understand?"

"Now this puddle is shallow and it isn't like you three can hurt yourselves practicing here so give it a try. Share the puddle for now," he told them stepping off it and grinning as the three looked at each other in disbelief.

Feeling a bit more confident than the other two, Sakura took a deep breath and stepped forward, pausing to focus her chakra to her feet before setting her foot down on the water. She tested it for a moment and worked to adjust the amount of chakra to her weight as she steadily leaned forward onto her foot. When she was confident that she could hold herself, she lifted her other foot and brought it onto the puddle as well, slowly evening out her weight distribution as she stood on both feet. When she was sure she was steady, she looked up at Kakashi in confusion and asked, "Was this supposed to be hard?"

"Shit," Kakashi muttered to himself trying to figure out how he would keep them busy for the rest of the day if Naruto and Sasuke managed to learn it as quickly as Sakura had. "Umm…let those two try," he suggested. Sakura nodded and stepped off the puddle making room for her teammates. Sasuke shrugged and stepped forward repeating the process.

"I can't tell if you three are making me look like an excellent teacher or if they just made the genius's look like idiots," Kakashi muttered to himself, watching as Sakura easily helped the other two take their first steps on water.

* * *

Agent's Spiel: I know Ibiki is much younger than I'm making him in this but please go along with it. Obviously, this isn't the only thing I've changed from canon and I hope this stuff – like Sakura's father as a shinobi – doesn't annoy you too much. If you have any questions about what has been changed just email me and I'll try to answer.

I'm going to say the same thing about the water walking as I did about tree climbing. This is a much simpler exercise than we originally saw in the manga (it's a puddle) and Naruto did learn this really quickly even with the seal Orochimaru had placed on him messing up his chakra.

Also, there will be more action in upcoming chapters.

A couple of people commented about their training regiments. The tasks Kakashi set for them, which were fairly minimal for three teens that should be very physically fit, were for the three to do on their own before team training started for the day and were meant to replace what they were already doing. They will be going through much more with Kakashi, although I'm not sure how much I'll go into details on this because I'm afraid it might drag on too much.

And just a kind of random note, I think the reason Kakashi is turning out so weird – as that is the only word to describe the fact that I had him to an impression of Orlando Bloom last chapter – is that he is a bit more emotionally disturbed than I had originally noticed. Personally, I think it suites him and it is just one of those small deviations from canon that creeps up; I hope it doesn't bother you guys too much.

Thanks to all my reviewers, I think I got all of you, but like I said above I wasn't getting e-mail alerts for about a week and that included the first few days the first half of this chapter was up so I didn't get all the reviews in my email:

_Turtle Kid, Bobboky, Tonya S., Itallia, AznPuffyHair, Kage Husha, Get-Lost, rianifitria, Japanese-jew, insanechildfanfic, Sprig, xXShadowedfateXx, DarkRavie,_


	10. Beating

Agent's Spiel: I'm so tempted to start using the exclamation "Ninja Jesus". If you're ever bored look up 'supah nario bros.' I actually credit it with amusing me enough to actually start working on my fanfiction again.

Just a warning, this chapter is fairly unedited. If you see any big mistakes, or even a lot of little ones, just tell me and I'll probably edit this weekend.

Also, here is some of the action I promised you guys (it's not much but it's more than usual). I'm gonna tell you the same thing I tell the readers of_After the Dream_, fight scenes are not my strong point. I try but they always fall short because I don't really have a lot of the terminology to properly describe the scenes the way I want them to play out.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language; I'll probably use more than one form of sign language but I'll denote that in the sentence, it will still be within single quotes ''. For inexperienced signers their statements may appear stunted not to reflect their actual signs but to show inexperience.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts, congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course, it generally only applies to Sakura and Naruto so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Extra spoilers in this chapter if you haven't caught up with Naruto Shippuden (or however that's spelled). Nothing big just an allusion towards another jinchuriki.

* * *

**Beating**

XX _Day 1 of Mission_ XX

"I'm very impressed," the Hokage stated looking at the three Genin in front of them. Only two months after their training had 'officially' begun and their improvement was more than obvious to the casual observer – if the casual observer happened to be of Kage level and had any knowledge of what the three had been like before their graduation to Genin level. The three looked very pleased with his compliment and the Hokage suddenly felt Kakashi's curious gaze. "I was wondering if the three of you would like something a bit more challenging to test your skills."

"Really?" Sakura asked, her tone betraying her eagerness as she stepped in front of her teammates.

The Sandaime chuckled and nodded pulling out a scroll and handing it to her. "I received this mission request this morning and I believe you will be capable of handling it."

Sakura scanned over its contents before handing it to Naruto and Sasuke and turning back to the Hokage with a smile. "It sounds straightforward," she told him.

"Very much so. We've known about this for a few months now, but it wasn't until recently that the attacks became anything worth our involvement," he paused to chuckle as Naruto and Sasuke finished looking over the short mission description and sent the scroll flying towards Kakashi. Much to the Genin's disappointment, he deftly caught it and scanned over it as well.

"Just five?" he asked picking up on the details much quicker than his students had.

"Yes, they rarely hit more than one stall but recently they've been doing so more frequently and the cost of the damages has risen too high for the merchants to ignore. Do you three believe you're up to it?" the Hokage asked, directing his question at the Genin.

Sakura was about to raise an objection but Naruto and Sasuke beat her to the Hokage's attention with their quick acceptance. She glanced back at Kakashi but he obviously agreed with the Sandaime that it was their choice. "What about you?" the Hokage asked as Sakura remained nervously silent.

Sakura opened her mouth slightly before Naruto and Sasuke's expressions caught her attention. Naruto looked absolutely thrilled at the prospect of a mission, especially one that would take them outside of the village. She knew he was feeling cooped up since he wasn't supposed to wander around the village much which left him confined to training and Iruka's house. Sasuke, on the other hand, was sending her a warning look that just screamed I know you're about to ruin this for us so keep your mouth shut. His people skills had been improving and he had warmed up to his teammates slightly but she had noticed him growing more impatient with their activities and with her and Naruto when they didn't push for more excitement. "We can handle it," she finally told the Hokage.

"Sasuke, Naruto still can't get our attention without whapping us over the head. What if it isn't as easy as the Hokage thinks or something goes wrong and he can't communicate with us?" Sakura insisted when she met up with her teammates on the bridge later that morning.

"We're good enough for this. The Hokage wouldn't have even offered this mission to us if he didn't think we would be able to handle it," Sasuke retorted.

'Bastard is right. The Old Man isn't senile enough to send us on a bad mission,' Naruto chimed in.

"Don't call the Hokage senile," Sakura corrected him on impulse.

'But he _is_ old,' Naruto told her.

Sakura grinned weakly and shook her head knowing this wasn't a fight they would let her win. "Sometimes I hate working with you two," she muttered.

'That two better have included Bastard,' Naruto told her looking put out.

"Of course it included the Bas…Sasuke," Sakura told him, glancing at Sasuke out of the corner of her eye long enough to know that he was now glaring at her intensely for the slip up.

"Morning!"

All three turned around as their tardy sensei cheerily interrupted their conversation. "Now, now, no need to look at me like that. I just wanted to make sure none of you had any questions about the mission before we leave. The town is northeast of here, but it should only take us about a day to reach there and we'll start lookout tomorrow. It might take a few days for these bandits to strike and then we'll get them and come back," he told them.

"Will we have lodgings or do we need camping equipment?" Sakura asked.

"They'll put us up in the town. We might be pulling some all-nighters, but no real camping," Kakashi told her. "Still, pack lightly for this. Just a change of clothes and some extra supplies. The weather should be pretty much the same as here so don't worry about that," he added.

"Any other questions?" he asked when the three remained unresponsive. Sakura looked up and shook her head negatively so Kakashi nodded and dismissed them to pack quickly so that they could leave within half an hour.

An hour later, he finally met them at the main gate of the village. "Got everything?" Kakashi asked cheerfully.

"You aren't going to arrive on time anymore, are you?" Sakura sighed.

Kakashi's smile slid off his face and Naruto had the suspicion that he was very disappointed with their reaction. 'Are we leaving?'

Kakashi smiled again at Naruto and nodded, turning to lead the way out of the village. As they stepped through the gates, he reconsidered and turned to study his team for a moment. "Sasuke take point, Naruto and Sakura after him, I'll watch the back," he ordered them into formation.

The three Genin glanced at each other momentarily before Sasuke smirked and stepped out in front of his sensei and his teammates fell in behind him. Once he was sure they were focused on the road, Kakashi sighed and reached into his flak vest and pulled out his book to settle in for a long walk.

An hour onto the road and Kakashi had already reread _Icha Icha Paradise_ twice. Having memorized it months before even he had a limit as to how long the book could hold his attention and he unfortunately found that he was already in need of a new pastime. His sensei had always used downtime during missions like this for lessons on history, but his students had already learned history in the Academy – one of the few benefits of attending a ninja school during peacetime.

_Although, I bet Naruto and Sasuke don't remember anything that they learned. Of course neither do I…but Sakura enjoys talking…now how to get the conversation started? _Looking up he noticed that Naruto, in a fine imitation of his teacher Kakashi noted proudly, was multitasking by reading as he walked. It was one of the many odd comics that the Sandaime continued to slip to the Genin every chance he got and which Iruka seemed to hate because Naruto was more interested in reading them than he was in studying whatever strategy or history book Iruka put in Naruto's hands for the week.

"Mah Naruto, what is that?" Kakashi finally asked, ignoring his earlier plan of convincing Sakura to talk.

Naruto looked slightly startled as he turned to look nervously at Kakashi. 'A present from the Old Man,' Naruto signed.

"Why does the Hokage keep giving you presents?" Kakashi asked wryly trying to get more of an explanation from him.

Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment as he turned around to walk backwards so that he could converse with Kakashi more freely. After a moment, he shrugged in confusion. 'He gives them to his grandson too,' was all Naruto could tell him.

"What's it about? Ninja?" Sakura asked joining the conversation.

Naruto shook his head and looked thoughtful for a moment. 'They're fighters. I think one of them might be an alien. I'm confused though because he got them out of order so I missed the two books before this,' Naruto shrugged watching as Kakashi got an odd gleam in his eye. Naruto returned the gleam a moment later when he signed, 'What's yours about?'

Kakashi's eye curved in a smile but he simply shook his head. "Sakura is still angry at me. If I answer that, even as a joke, then she'll tell Iruka. And, if his reaction to Anko two months ago was any indicator, he'll kill me," he stated.

Naruto shrugged and quipped back, 'Orange was just joking. Sensei thought it was funny. I heard him laughing that night after you left.'

Kakashi's eye curved again and he glanced up to check that Sasuke was paying attention to them as well. "For some reason the idea of me giving the three of you the talk was very amusing to him. I haven't been able to figure out why," he shrugged. "Speaking of which, do I still need to go over that with you? Seeing as this is our first mission outside of the village and …well opportunities and all."

Naruto's eyes widened and he blushed at Kakashi's hints. "Kakashi-sensei, Anko told me to tell you that if you put ideas into Naruto and Sasuke's head I was supposed to report back to her," Sakura interrupted, still not entirely certain why Anko had given her the order in the first place.

Kakashi shrugged in response and went back to examining his students as they continued on the road. Finally, fed up with the scenery he spoke up again. "Mah, what do you say we speed this up a bit. If we get into town earlier than expected, I'll treat you three to dinner," he offered. The three looked back at him eagerly and nodded. "Follow me then," he said, jumping into the trees at the side of the road they had been traveling on. He heard Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto enter the canopy a moment later and he nodded back at them before heading off at an accelerated pace.

They reached their destination in no time it seemed. The sun was just setting when Kakashi led them into town and towards the house of their main client: Biru-san. His wife answered the door and her eyes widened happily when she saw the team's forehead protectors. "Please come in. My husband will be back soon; there was another robbery this morning," she informed them unhappily, leading them into her home's modest sitting room.

The three genin gratefully took the seats she offered them, lowering themselves to the cushions while Kakashi remained standing behind them. "I hope we aren't disturbing you," Kakashi told the woman, but she merely shook her head and seated herself across from the genin.

"Not at all. As I said, we were expecting you, and my husband would normally be home except for the robbery this morning. It was only one of the bandits this time and the losses were far less than normal, which is odd since their activity has been escalating," she informed them, as the front door was heard opening down the hall.

All four shinobi turned as a middle-aged man walked into the room. He stared at them for a moment before sighing relief. "I see you've met my wife, Merinda. I'm Karamete Biru. I can only thank you for arriving as swiftly as you did," he told them.

"The Hokage was concerned with the case," Kakashi told him. "He was wondering if there was a problem that caused you to wait so long to hire us."

"No, there weren't any problems. We simply did not see it as financially sound. The damages caused by the thefts simply weren't adding up enough to call in shinobi. Recently that has changed, that is why I sent in the mission request a week ago," Biru explained.

"Our information says you know the identity of the five main bandits, is this true?"

"Yes, all five have been identified. They are low-level crooks, all originally from towns within half a day of here. We don't know why they started working together, or what made them decide to target us as often as they did. We also don't know why their activity escalated. It used to just be small things, a little food here, a few small trinkets elsewhere. Now though, they've emptied out two stores. They've taken to attacking merchant caravans and traveling merchants. No one has been killed, but the level of violence has gone up," Biru claimed.

"How frequent are the attacks?" Sakura asked curiously.

"At least once a week for the past two months. Although, the attack this morning was the third this week," Merinda told her.

"I have all the reports on the thefts for at least the past four months if you think that would be helpful. You'll have the full cooperation of everyone in the town. We're eager to get this solved before someone really gets hurt," Biru added.

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. "Would you mind taking me to the shop that was hit today? My students can start going over the old reports," he finally asked Biru.

"Not at all. Merinda, would you help them? The reports are in my office. If the three of you have any questions she should be able to answer them or direct you to someone who can; as I said we are all eager to help," Biru said, turning and heading back out with Kakashi following him.

"Just try to get a feel for what's been happening," Kakashi called back to them disappearing down the hall.

"The kitchen is right through there," Merinda said, standing up and smiling at the three teenagers. "You'll probably be more comfortable with a table to work at and I can start dinner while you're reading. Would you like to take your bags to your rooms first?" she asked.

"I'll take them," Sakura said standing as well and picking up her bag before holding her hands out to her teammates. Once she had them, she followed Merinda back into the hallway while Naruto and Sasuke went into the kitchen.

They had just seated themselves at the table when Naruto snapped his fingers in front of Sasuke's face to catch his attention. Sasuke turned to the other boy coldly but his angry retort died on his lips when he saw the confusion on Naruto's face. 'He said they sent for us a week ago. The Old Man just got the report this morning,' he signed.

Sasuke frowned in surprise as he processed what Naruto had already figured out. "Tell Kakashi when he gets back. He might have already caught onto that but we'll have to wait. Maybe the Sandaime just hadn't processed it until this morning," Sasuke reasoned, falling back into brooding silence.

He was interrupted a moment later when a small pile of folders was dropped in front of him. "Let's get started," Sakura told them weaseling her way in between the two and pulling open the first folder.

When Merinda entered several minutes later, she found the three hunched over a file whispering quietly. Well two of them were whispering, she noticed curiously. Ignoring her curiosity, she left the three to their business while she set about cooking.

Dinner was prepared and the four were sitting patiently still waiting for Biru and Kakashi to return an hour later. The burglary reports had been set aside after forty minutes. They had mainly consisted of lists of petty goods that had been stolen, although the more recent ones had been much longer lists, and the property damage claims had been added. "I didn't catch any of your names," Merinda finally claimed, looking at the three curiously again.

They had had enough dealings with shinobi before to know what to expect when they sent in the mission request. The sudden escalation and number of perpetrators would easily have ranked the mission at C, possibly higher if the Hokage did not like something in the report. None of the other shinobi that had performed C class missions had ever been as young as the three sitting in front of her. She had seen genin their age performing far more menial tasks, normally confined to their home village, but never this far away.

"I'm Sakura, these two are Naruto and Sasuke," the pink haired girl finally said, pointing first to the blond haired boy on her right and then to the dark haired one on her left.

"And the other man, he's your sensei? Would that make you three genin?" Merinda continued.

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei. We've been genin about…two and half months I guess," Sakura told her. Merinda's eyes widened slightly but the three had behaved professionally the entire time they had been in her line of sight so she decided not to express too much of her shock…at least not in front of them. "Your husband owns one of the local groceries, right?" Sakura asked, remembering the information she had read in the reports.

"Yes, it's been in his family for years. We've actually only been targeted twice by these men so we've been lucky," Merinda claimed, eyeing the girl curiously. Pink hair was a bit odd, but she'd seen odder on shinobi – she had never really understood what it was about their genetics that created such unique appearances, but you could almost always distinguish shinobi from civilians, especially if they weren't first generation. Sakura's hair was cut a bit unevenly and pulled back into a pair of pigtails making it look shorter than it probably was. Studying the two boys, she realized that they had unique genetics as well: short, spiky, bright yellow hair and slightly longer, spiky, dark bluish-black hair. Not two shades you saw on civilians. Unlike their sensei who wore his forehead protector skewed over his eye, all three Genin wore theirs around their necks allowing their hair to look even more haphazard; she had no clue how the two boys could see with their bangs falling over their eyes.

Merinda also realized for the first time that most of the shinobi she had met had been in uniform, like the jounin Kakashi. These three were not in uniform, not that most genin were; however, she realized, their clothing gave them a slightly more mature look, which was why she hadn't realized that they would be such new Genin. The girl interested her the most of course. When she had been a child, probably the same age as the rose haired girl in front of her, the legendary Sannin and their legendary kunoichi had been on the rise during the Great Wars. Merinda herself was only ten or so years younger than the legendary healer and she could even remember seeing the woman once when she had passed through the village with her teammates on the way back from the border.

The pink haired girl reminded her a lot of what she had seen: the same confidence, the same beauty, the same violence when her teammates got out of hand. Merinda had no doubt that Sakura caught attention when she was in public; even though the girl was only twelve or thirteen, she was dressed like someone several years older. She, like her male teammates, had fishnet sticking out wherever her more substantial clothing didn't cover. Over what appeared to be a red fishnet bodysuit, the girl wore a short, dark grey skirt. Her top was a very deep red, sleeveless, mock-collared shirt with a small white circle on the front bottom corner where the shirt dropped over the skirt's waistline. The fishnet theme was continued on her arms where fishnet gloves peaked out from under armored plates on her forearms, and again on her legs where fishnet stockings peaked out above shin guards leaving just a small gap in the fishnet for bare knees. The motherly part of Merinda's mind really hoped Sakura had some sort of jacket because they were due for colder weather later in the week.

The two boys looked more prepared to handle colder weather; of course, she wasn't quite sure how the smaller one was actually managing to not sweat himself to death in the coat he was wearing. "Aren't you warm in that?" she asked the darker haired boy.

He looked up in confusion and shrugged. "Just take the coat off Sasuke," Sakura sighed. _I have never seen someone so embarrassed about a sunburn before. Of course, with all the training we've been doing outside you'd think he'd be used to the sun by now,_ she thought as Sasuke sulkily pulled the coat off and set it on the ground behind him. Merinda immediately noticed the reddened skin on his arms and neck and smiled apologetically when she realized he had been trying to cover it up. She also realized that he wasn't as small as he had looked in the oversized coat; comparing him to Naruto she would guess that Naruto was actually the smaller of the two. When the actually smaller boy started silently laughing at his teammate's state, Sakura reached over and whapped him on his head; Merinda was beginning to understand why she had made sure to be sitting in between the two – it put them both in hitting distance.

Once Sasuke took his coat off, Merinda had a much clearer view of his clothing, and that fact that Sasuke was wearing as much fishnet as Naruto, if not more. He was wearing dark, navy blue shorts with a dark red fishnet shirt and dark blue armor over his chest. He wasn't wearing gloves or any armor on his arms, but Merinda suspected that that had more to do with not irritating the sunburned skin. His lower legs were wrapped in bandages half way up his calves where they met thin kneepads.

Naruto was the only one of the three to not be wearing red. He had on a dark blue fishnet shirt that reached his wrists and had a high neck. Over that, he wore a dark grey hooded shirt with sleeves reaching his elbows and an orange spiral on the sleeve of his left shoulder. He was wearing dark blue capris with a cinched hem that went over more fishnet down to his ankles. Unlike both his teammates, he didn't appear to be wearing any form of armor or extra padding, although his shirt could have been hiding armor similar to Sasuke's.

Merinda was interrupted from her study when she heard her husband return through the front door. He appeared in the kitchen a moment later with Kakashi behind him. "Sorry about the delay Sutibu-san was at the store so we spoke with him," Biru explained as they took a seat at the table.

Dinner passed in relative silence and soon after Kakashi excused himself and his team claiming that they needed a good night's sleep before starting early the next morning. Once the four were in one of the rooms Merinda had given the three Genin, Kakashi sat down and looked at his students curiously. "Did you learn anything from the files?"

"No, they really just corroborated what we had been told," Sakura answered.

Naruto tugged on Sasuke's shirt meaningfully and he spoke up. "We thought the Hokage said that he just got the mission request this morning, but Biru-san said he sent it a week ago. Did something happen on the way to Konoha or did the Hokage simply not see to it immediately?"

"I noticed that as well and I honestly don't know. The Hokage didn't mention a problem or any delay in bringing the request to his attention. The best person to ask while we're still here would be the messenger; however, Biru said he hasn't returned yet," Kakashi explained.

"Was he supposed to return with us?"

Kakashi shook his head at Sakura's question. "The Hokage didn't even mention the messenger to me," he answered. He was cut off from continuing when Naruto launched himself at Kakashi bowling the older man over and scowling at him. "Sorry," Kakashi apologized when he realized that he had been ignoring him.

'What did you learn?' Naruto signed finally happy to have Kakashi's attention.

"Not much. This is mainly a travelers' town so there are more inns and shops then residential areas. Most of the merchants actually live in the surrounding towns; that's how they recognized the thieves so quickly. Since the attacks escalated so much this week, I think the best plan will be to patrol the main street during the day – all of the attacks have actually taken place during day light, normally in the early morning," Kakashi explained. "Get some sleep and I'll wake you up early in the morning to start patrols," he added ushering them back to their own rooms.

XX _Day 4 of Mission_ XX

The visitors and residents of the town had quickly gotten used to seeing the ninja walking through the streets or bounding across the rooftops. Every few hours they would pop into a shop to speak with the owner about his or her day, occasionally asking about past incidents with the thieves. It seemed as if just having the ninja as visible presence had been enough to ward off attacks in the town and on the two main roads leading in and out of it.

Kakashi hadn't allowed the Genin's training to stop while they were on the mission, which often led him to wake them up at least an hour before dawn. They used their morning runs to encircle the town's perimeter and he'd send them out in pairs to spar throughout the day, allowing them to look at the surrounding forest as well to get their bearings.

However, their clients had expressed some concern that the messenger that Sutibu had sent to Konoha still had not returned and so, instead of remaining in the village patrolling with Sakura and Sasuke, Kakashi and Naruto found themselves patrolling the road that led in the direction of Konoha looking for clues that the messenger may have been attacked. Kakashi had spent the first hour recalling to Naruto exactly what he had seen and heard when he went out with Biru to the scene of the robbery on the first night of their business. After that, he spent the time going back and forth between reading Naruto's signs as he explained why he thought most of the shop owners were crazy for waiting as long as they had because collectively it would have been worth it to send for ninja after the first two months.

Kakashi went on to explain that while that makes sense to ninja it doesn't from the shopkeepers' perspective. That in such a town as this, there exists a heightened amount of illegal activity which nearly everyone turns a blind eye too as long as it doesn't get so bad as to drive visitors away. And while shinobi are not law keepers or connected to Fire Countries court system most civilians forget that and so, they avoid calling in ninja until it is absolutely unavoidable.

'What could they be doing that's illegal? The Client owns a food store,' Naruto signed in confusion.

"It's not necessarily that they are doing something illegal. It might be as simple as allowing customers to come in that are technically criminals but haven't threatened anyone in the town. Or it could mean they let people pass through and stay in the hotels without proper identification. Technically ninja don't interfere unless either a crime is being committed blatantly or another ninja is involved. These men we're dealing with are businessmen. This town is their business and they don't want to bring in someone who might hurt it unless it is really worth it," Kakashi stated.

'So since the town wasn't hurt by the early attacks they didn't do anything. Did they hire us because traveling merchants were attacked?'

"Most likely. That or Biru-san and Sutibu-san got ticked off that they were finally targeted and their businesses are least likely to suffer from our presence," Kakashi shrugged.

'His store was only robbed on the day that we came,' Naruto pointed out.

"Biru or Sutibu?" Kakashi asked but he figured Naruto was talking about the latter when he jabbed at him and nodded at Sutibu's name.

"There weren't any other reports from him?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto shook his head.

"What about Biru? He mentioned one that I remember."

'Two. One was old, don't remember. The other was this week, more damage than losses.'

"Interesting. What do you say we head in?" Kakashi asked his eye crinkling up in a smile and making Naruto rather nervous. Naruto shrugged and followed his sensei back to the village. Kakashi quickly found his other two students on their patrols and told them that they were done for the day as he led them back to Biru's house.

"Why are we quitting?" Sakura asked as they landed at the door and walked inside.

"We're not. I'll go back out and keep an eye on things but I want you to do something for me here. Start by asking Merinda for the theft records she had and then meet us back in Naruto and Sasuke's room," Kakashi told her as he led her teammates down the hall.

Sakura ran into Kakashi as he already on his way out of the house and she teetering down the hallway with a large stack of files. "Sasuke will fill you in on what you'll be doing for the day. I'll speak with you in the evening," Kakashi promised.

Once she was in the room with her teammates and the door was securely closed behind her, Sakura dropped the files on the ground and looked at Sasuke expectantly. "Kakashi thinks one of our clients is hiring the thieves," Sasuke stated.

"What?" Sakura asked sitting down next to Naruto and looking between the two.

'Client hired runner who got to Konoha late. Runner not back. Also only one robbery at his store, minimal losses,' Naruto answered.

"Which client? Wait Sutibu-san was the one with only one robbery, right?" Sakura asked.

Naruto nodded. "Kakashi recommended that we not talk out loud. I think he's making us reinforce our sign language while we go over this," Sasuke added quietly.

'What are we looking for?' Sakura signed nodding back to him.

'Loss records. Most hit and highest losses first,' Naruto told her. Glancing through the folders and haphazardly handing them out to his teammates. 'It'll go faster if records for same store go to same person,' he explained when Sakura gave him an odd look.

An hour later the trio had finished their first sweep of the records and found the stores that had been hit most frequently, surprisingly those hit most frequently had not been the ones with the highest losses. They also found one detail that they had missed the first time around. 'Keep that file aside for Pervert…,' Sasuke scowled as he trailed off looking at Naruto. 'You don't have a nickname.'

Naruto grinned pleasantly and shrugged. 'That isn't fair,' Sakura added mirroring Sasuke's scowl.

'Is too Pinky.'

"No it isn't," Sasuke said aloud. 'Pervert should pick it,' he finally decided figuring Kakashi's vocabulary would be wider than theirs would and so he would find something more insulting.

Naruto frowned and sighed, turning away from his teammates to look down at the files. He still didn't think it made sense that no one before Biru or Sutibu had bothered to send for Konoha or at least tried to hire someone who passed through for protection – especially if Kakashi was right and other bandits and such passed through here regularly.

'Clients have fewest losses, but convenient location,' Sakura finally said. 'There was no reason to send for us.'

"What?" Sasuke asked.

'Each was hit after they sent runner to Konoha,' Naruto added. 'Why step in for other stores when they didn't before?'

'Traveling merchants? Do they buy more from them?' Sasuke suggested.

'Not in the records. We'll have Pervert ask,' Sakura suggested. "What else do you need to look for?"

"What did you mean by convenient location?" Sasuke asked before going on.

'Both stores are near each other and close enough to edge of town to be easy to get away from,' Naruto told him.

"Where have the others been located?"

"Don't you pay attention on patrol?" Sakura asked in exasperation.

"I pay attention to our surroundings and look for anything out of the ordinary. Apparently I haven't connected what we read to the places we've been around," Sasuke admitted reluctantly.

'All on main roads. Most not in center,' Naruto signed. He rooted around in the pile of files for a moment before he found the map Merinda had given them on their first night in town. Sakura rooted in her pack before coming out with a marker and began circling the buildings that had been robbed.

'There are more robberies on the North and West,' Sasuke pointed out.

'We spar up there,' Naruto pointed out indicating the forested areas surrounding the town that they had already explored. 'Maybe they're traveling from South to attack since more caravans from South were attacked.'

"And Biru-san and Sutibu-san's stores are both on the East and they have definitely been avoiding that area since first hitting Biru-san four months ago," Sakura added.

'Why protect nearby stores though?' Naruto asked.

"What do you mean?"

'If one is paying the thieves, why are they avoiding the area nearby? There are more competitors nearby,' Naruto pointed out.

"He's right. They only hit stores on the borders of that area, as if they're afraid to go near the street. That doesn't look like they've been hired to go after competitors, since a lot of these stores aren't actually competitors," Sasuke added.

"I shouldn't be hearing this much talking," Kakashi stated, opening the door a crack to peak in at them.

'Sorry,' Sakura signed.

'Naruto needs a nickname,' Sasuke interrupted before Kakashi could chastise them more.

"Indeed he does. Are you telling me this so that I can pick one?" he asked, gaining pleased nods from Sakura and Sasuke.

'Cut it out. We found stuff for you,' Naruto interrupted scowling at all three of them.

"Well tell me what you found while I think of an appropriate name for blondie," Kakashi suggested, stepping into the room and kneeling in front of them.

Sasuke tossed him the report they had set aside earlier. "Is this the first theft?" Kakashi asked noticing the early date on it.

Sakura nodded and signed, 'Client suffered from damage and losses, just like the one last week. But someone interfered so losses were not bad.'

"This only identifies a man name Gorou. Why do you think he's involved?" Kakashi asked.

'He took on bandits once. Maybe he wouldn't go after them, or they just asked him to watch over that area,' Sasuke suggested.

'It explains why they've avoided that area,' Naruto added.

"Does this explain why they contacted us?" Kakashi asked Naruto.

'No. But we thought maybe caravans were needed and since those were hit heavier they would call for us.'

"Do the caravan reports list what was taken?" Kakashi asked.

'No caravan reports. Only dates that they were hit,' Sasuke explained.

"What about the missing messenger?" Kakashi urged.

'If messenger is this…' Naruto paused to point to the name Gorou before continuing, 'maybe he didn't want to deal with ninja. Illegal like you said, but Clients might not know.'

"Good guess. I think that before we take our investigation further we need to chat with our clients. Why don't the three of you do a few rounds around the border of the town and then come back. I'll talk to them while you're gone," Kakashi suggested. "Before you leave if you could stop by Sutibu's house and send him over that'll save me the trip."

His students rolled their eyes at him as they filed out of the room. He waited until he heard the front door shut before he began to pick up the files he wanted to use to pester his clients and was just standing to walk out of the room when Merinda appeared at the door. "Did your students leave? Dinner's just about ready."

"They'll be back later tonight after they make up their rounds from this afternoon. In the meantime, I need to speak with you, your husband and Sutibu-san; they'll be sending him over shortly."

"Is something wrong?" Merinda asked nervously.

"Probably not. But I'd like to talk a bit more about our mission here. We've been here for four days and nothing has happened. We want to make sure that we'll be worth your money," Kakashi claimed.

"I'll get Biru then. He's in his study."

"When you get him, could you ask if he has records of what has been stolen from the caravans?" Kakashi asked heading towards the sitting room. That was where Kakashi was when Merinda answered the door allowing Sutibu in nearly ten minutes later. He happily ignored his clients discomfort as all three sat down opposite him.

"Is there a problem?" Sutibu asked.

"That depends on how honest the three of you decide to be. I've been approached by two of my students with a nearly identical concern. They can't understand why you would finally decide to step forward and contact Konoha when the only time you had been targeted was nearly four months before you sent for us. Both of your recent robberies were after you sent the messenger to Konoha. A messenger who may be missing, or may just be avoiding returning while ninja are still in town."

"I told you on the first day you were here. Losses were mounting and it couldn't be ignored anymore," Biru insisted.

"You aren't the magistrate. You owe nothing to the other shopkeepers. The only suggestion my students had was that the caravans were your suppliers and targeting them had harmed your business, but neither of your businesses look harmed," Kakashi paused to pull out the map that Sakura had been drawing out. "From the looks of things, these bandits have not only avoided your stores, but also the entire area around you. I see two possibilities: one makes you look very guilty, the other makes you look very smart."

"If you're suggesting we hired the bandits that's ridiculous."

"I agree. That's why I think you're very smart. My guess is after the original hit on your store Biru-san, you hired someone to make sure it didn't happen again. You certainly have the wealth that would allow it. I'm going to guess it was either this Gorou – who is mentioned in your report – or someone else who you simply don't want to mention to a ninja. I'm going to repeat a small lecture I gave to one of my students earlier today in hopes that you'll speak a bit more honestly about this.

"Shinobi are not law enforcement anywhere but Konoha. The only times we take such a role is if a ninja from an opposing village is present; it is within the parameters of our mission; or a law is being broken so blatantly that the ninja cannot turn a blind eye towards it – and we are very capable of turning a blind eye. Depending on your cooperation, we can take care of this situation and only this situation. If you've hired someone and you are honest about it, he or she does not need to be mentioned in the mission report. But if I feel that your omission puts my students in danger we'll dig deeper until we can guarantee our safety."

Biru, Merinda, and Sutibu glanced at each other before Merinda sighed. "His name is Nii Gorou. The day we were first robbed was two days after someone tried to rob Sutibu's store. It was still locked and they failed to break in and take anything, which is why there is no report. Our niece and nephew, who are only a few years older than your students, were working the store that day while we were meeting with one of our suppliers. When they were threatened he stepped in and they convinced him to stay at least until we returned."

"When we returned we spoke with Sutibu. There had already been three more robberies and we wanted to make sure that we weren't targeted again so we hired him to watch the street around our stores. He stopped another robbery two stores down and from that point on they avoided our area of city."

"Is this Gorou the messenger you sent?"

"Yes."

"Did he give any indication that he would rather not involve ninja or that he shouldn't be seen by them?"

"No," Biru insisted.

"Did he ever go after the thieves or did he stay near your stores?"

"Stayed near the stores. It may have only been five men but he didn't want to stumble upon them unprepared," Sutibu said.

"Why did you finally send for Konoha? Was he leaving?"

"No. Other shop owners that had been hit repeatedly were threatening to do so. We felt that if we sent for Konoha there was less chance of trouble with the others."

"So you're paying for the mission because someone you hired only protected your street?" Kakashi asked gaining three nods. "Any idea where Gorou might be if he is avoiding us?"

"None. He said he wasn't from Fire Country. But he said nothing about not returning after sending for you and his belongings are still in the apartment above Sutibu's store that he was given," Biru claimed.

"Do you have records on the caravans that were robbed?"

"Not all of them," Biru answered apologetically as he handed a small stack files to Kakashi. "Those are only the most recent few. We think some of the robberies were reported to other towns and some weren't reported at all."

"Have any of the thieves, or even any of the caravans given you any idea why the thefts are coming more frequently?"

"There have been rumors of problems in Wave Country. Some caravans have mentioned that few resources are getting into the country. We're a bit far from the coast, but this is one of the largest trade towns in this area," Sutibu suggested.

"But the bandits you named are from the surrounding area. You think someone is paying them for goods that can be sold in Wave for higher prices?"

"It's the only idea anyone has come up with," Merinda admitted.

"Then here's my last question: Would you rather us spend less time in the town protecting the stores and more time searching for the bandits or do you want to put up with us for a longer period while we wait for them to come to us?"

"If you think your students can handle it, a more aggressive search may make the caravans coming in feel more comfortable."

"We'll talk it out tonight," Kakashi assured them, standing up. "If Gorou comes back or you hear from him please tell me. His input would be useful," he added heading towards the front door.

"Well kiddies, you were right," Kakashi stated half an hour later when he had caught up to his students near the entrance of the southern road.

"Right?"

"Nii Gorou was hired nearly four months ago to deter attacks against the businesses of our clients. Because of general vicinity, most of the stores on that main stretch of road by them were protected as well. According to our clients, they hired us because other merchants were complaining and they were afraid that if they didn't hire us another merchant would and would blame them. I'm actually impressed; it only took you four days to give me enough information to take to them to question them."

"Wait? So you've figured something was wrong the entire time?" Sakura asked.

"Pretty much. But this is your first mission. If you still hadn't voiced concerns within a week or so I probably would have pointed it out to you but you caught on within the first day or two."

Sasuke's scowl darkened but he didn't comment on Kakashi's cheerfulness. "Where is this Gorou?" he finally asked.

"Well that's one of the main questions. He didn't tell them he wouldn't be back and he left most of his things. This could mean that he doesn't want to run into ninja so he's waiting to come back until we're gone or he just abandoned it, but it could also mean that he ran into trouble so we'll keep an eye out.

"After your rounds and training tomorrow morning I want the three of you to look over these. They're the only files Biru claimed he had on the caravans that have been attacked. It isn't much of a sample but if you find any similarity or anything suspicious in them, it might give us something to go on. Now that we have a fuller picture, we're going to do less sitting around but I don't want to waste our time in the wrong place so talk it over and come up with a plan. I'll approve it tomorrow afternoon."

XX _Day 12 of Mission_ XX

Team Kakashi's plan had ended up being quite simple. As they had already discovered that more of the caravans on the southern road had been attacked, it made sense to have a discreet presence in that area more consistently. All they had learned from the caravan reports was that the caravans attacked were typically leaving the town and not entering, although that was only out of a sample of ten attack reports. Like in the village, there was no consistency with the items stolen – not in quantity or quality – so Kakashi agreed that it was safe to guess that the thieves did not know what the caravans were carrying ahead of time which ruled out the likelihood of any type of inside information.

During the duration of the mission, only one caravan had come into the town from the southern road and two had left along it. Like in the town, simply the presence of ninja seemed to be enough to keep the bandits at bay and Kakashi was beginning to wonder when his students would decide to just start looking for the bandits and abandon protecting the merchants at all costs. Until that point, he was going to be putting up with a very moody Uchiha who had been struggling to deal with his own teammates on rounds which had landed him as Kakashi's permanent partner until Sasuke decided to finally say what was bothering him._Although it isn't like it's hard to figure out,_ Kakashi snickered drawing an annoyed look from surly student.

"When did Naruto get smart?" Sasuke finally growled out.

_Must not laugh at jealousy. Must not laugh at jealousy. _Kakashi repeated over and over in his head as he turned to look at Sasuke. Admittedly he had acted the same way whenever Obito or Rin had upstaged him; teaching his own students had finally given him an understanding of why his own sensei was so cheerful all the time. "It isn't as simple as that," Kakashi finally countered trying to appear serious.

"They both figured out that something was odd before I did. Naruto even caught the fact that something was strange with the messenger on our first day here."

"There's nothing wrong with that. Right now the difference between you and your teammates isn't intelligence, it's motivation. Sakura is naturally curious and logical. When things don't add up, and she isn't distracted by black haired boys, she immediately questions it," Kakashi stated losing his battle with his grin as Sasuke snarled at the quip. "As for Naruto, ever since his attack he has had one thing repeatedly drilled into his head. Never take someone for face value. They will always have a motive and that motive is rarely selfless."

"He doesn't question Iruka."

Kakashi snorted drawing a confused look from his student. "Iruka was the first person he questioned. It took Iruka a week to explain why he was letting Naruto stay with him. The only reason he accepts Anko and me is because he noticed that we seem to derive never ending amusement from watching the three of you and we're twisted enough for that to be our motive."

"That's why he was so convinced that our clients shouldn't have sent for us?"

"Exactly. To be honest I don't know why or how he picked up on the messenger bit. I suppose that's just one of those things about Naruto that we will never figure out," Kakashi admitted. "As for why you didn't pick up on it the answer is simple: you focused on doing your job. You were set on doing something and so you did it without questioning the mission. That isn't a bad thing. The only reason I let them pursue their curiosity was that I knew it wouldn't interfere in the mission. There are many times when they will have to ignore it and focus solely on carrying out the mission exactly as it was laid out for them. That being said if you never question situations like this it will get you into trouble."

Sasuke opened his mouth to retort when Kakashi suddenly reached forward and slapped a hand over his mouth. "Come out or I'll come get you," he stated loud enough for whoever had been watching them to hear.

"Figures Konoha would send someone like you," a man with light blond hair mumbled as he appeared in front of Sasuke and Kakashi.

"Sasuke go find your teammates and stick with them for the rest of patrol," Kakashi ordered.

"But if they're here-"

"They aren't. Nii Gorou I presume?" Kakashi asked looking over at the man curiously. "See not a bandit," Kakashi smirked when the man above him nodded. "So you go stick with your teammates while I deal with the missing nin."

Gorou's eyes narrowed at Kakashi's announcement and he tensed. Sasuke hesitated as Kakashi continued to nudge him out of his way and finally took off in the direction of the road that Naruto and Sakura were patrolling. "Who'd have thought Sharingan Kakashi would take students," Gorou muttered waiting for Kakashi to make a move.

"As far as I'm aware you haven't committed any crimes in Fire Country yet. You haven't threatened any ninja here and you haven't drawn any attention to yourself. However, you are from Kumogakure and, unfortunately for you, Konoha just discovered a spy from Kumo within our ranks so that makes me a bit less likely to just let you be. Fortunately for you, I promised our clients that I wouldn't bother you unless forced to, so what happens next is up to you."

"What the heck does that mean?" Gorou asked in disbelief.

"Considering how much it would be worth to turn you in for your bounty, you better have something other than the fact that you hated the Raikage as your excuse for leaving your village. Give me something the Hokage can use against your home village, and I'll keep my word to our clients. Give me something I can use personally and I'll consider leaving you out of my mission report all together."

"You've got to be joking," Gorou stated in disbelief.

"The word of an S Class missing nin, who miraculously never made it above Chuunin level, has to be worth something. I'm giving you an opportunity. The Hokage wants to hurt Kumogakure. And considering rumors about you, I'm going to guess that you do too."

"I think I'd rather take my chances against you," Gorou finally sneered.

Kakashi stared at him in disbelief for a moment until chakra began leaking from the blond man. "Well that explains the S Class ranking," Kakashi murmured in disgust a moment before Gorou attacked.

'Are you as bored as I am?' Naruto signed, yawning as he and Sakura stealthily trailed a particularly large caravan out of the town.

"Of course I am," Sakura muttered before turning back around to focus on the caravan. It didn't look like they had anything particularly interesting among their wares but the thieves had grabbed some fairly odd items in the past and they hoped that the sheer size of the caravan would make it seem like an easy target. That was also why Naruto had left two cleverly crafted clones in the city when they had set out that morning. Hopefully the caravan would appear unguarded.

A shout near the back of the caravan made her grin a moment later. "You check that out. I'll do a once over of the rest of the caravan and circle back to meet you if I don't find anything else," she told him taking off towards the front of the caravan. Naruto continued in the same direction veering out of the trees and onto the road.

Sakura heard increased shouts from the rear of the caravan and she sped up as the front of it came in sight. She landed in front of the head of the caravan and gave it once over when Sasuke suddenly landed next to her. "What's going on?"

"They attacked near the back of the caravan. I was just making sure they weren't attacking in multiple spots. We need to get back to Naruto; is Kakashi-sensei here?" Sakura asked.

"The messenger showed up; he said he'd handle it. Is Naruto at the back?"

Sakura nodded and turned to head that way when the hair on the back of her neck stood up and she began to quiver. "What is that?" she asked breathlessly.

Sasuke straightened and sneered as he looked back in the direction he had come from. "It's chakra, but we need to get to Naruto. Kakashi-sensei will handle it," he claimed taking off.

Sakura shook her head and took a moment to warn the head of the caravan to keep his people together before taking off after Sasuke. _That isn't human chakra,_ she swallowed nervously as she hoped for the first time that her sensei wasn't about to meet a premature death.

The sight that met her at the back of the caravan actually made her pause in surprise. She could spot at least ten different Narutos trying to fend off the attackers at the same time as at least five more were trying – unsuccessfully – to corral the end of the caravan and the _living_ wares that had been knocked off it. One of the defenders, whom she assumed was the real Naruto, looked vaguely ill and kept glancing in the direction of the ominous chakra source. Sasuke had stepped in against two of the attackers but had completely ignored the caravan itself. "Leave your wares and move!" Sakura shouted when one of the merchants bumped into her. "Just move towards the front of the caravan; you can deal with your wares later!" she added raising her voice and hoping it would carry to the others around them.

The merchants finally began to clear out of the way and the multiple Naruto clones that had been focused on them looked to Sakura gratefully before popping out of existence. The real Naruto glanced at her for a moment and nodded towards the group of clones struggling with three of the bandits before turning back to the two he was focusing on.

Sakura hesitated momentarily before moving to aid the clones. It was just as she moved to avoid the punch one of the bandits through at her that she remembered one small gap in their planning: Kakashi had never told them what to do with the bandits once they had found them. Capture? Kill? She had no idea although she was fairly certain it wouldn't be the second. She decided she was thinking about it too hard when she just barely managed to block a punch from one of the men in front of her.

Although he was pleased that none of their opponents seemed armed their sheer size was more problematic than Sasuke had anticipated. Most adult shinobi were not particularly large. There were exceptions – like the Akimichi clan and supposedly the legendary Sennin Jiraiya – but most were around the same size as Kakashi. Their size allowed them good speed and flexibility and what it cost them in muscle mass was often made up for by sheer training and even chakra reinforcement. Because of this, the men in front of him would have been no trouble for an adult ninja.

Sasuke wasn't an adult teammate, and his teammates were even smaller than he was. The two men in front of him were at least ten centimeters taller than his sensei and he knew they both probably weighed twice as much as the older pervert. Sasuke's speed kept him from being hit by either of them but none of his hits had any effect. He knew he couldn't risk throwing a shuriken with all the dogs and rabbits running around underfoot – he had a feeling that the caravan would not be forgiving if any losses were incurred – and that also ruled out his more destructive fire jutsu. Pulling out two kunai, Sasuke skidded past one of his opponents and under the other's legs, jamming one of the kunai in the back of the knee and slicing at the Achilles tendon with the other. The man shouted and teetered unsteadily, swinging down at Sasuke and forcing the Genin to block with both arms as he threw his entire weight behind the punch. _That stupid sensei better get here fast_, Sasuke growled to himself, hoping for the first time that his teammates weren't dead.

Naruto cursed himself for a second time as his distraction allowed the man in front of him to land a punch square in the center of his chest. He skidded back and glanced in the direction of the odd chakra that had appeared just minutes before. He wasn't sure what it was but he knew the Kyuubi didn't like it and apparently the fox wasn't very worried about Naruto getting hurt in his current situation as it kept making its displeasure known.

He swallowed nervously and stood back knowing that he had to finish his fight soon so that he could help both of his teammates in their outnumbered fights. The clones were holding up but they weren't good for much more than a distraction for Sakura as getting close enough to land any type of injury on the attackers would make it far too easy for them to be hit and dispersed.

Squaring his shoulders, Naruto straightened and pulled out a kunai before lunging at the man. He felt more than heard his clone pop and his eyes widened at the sudden assault of its last memories. Naruto turned away from his opponent and opened his mouth to shout at Sakura before snapping his mouth shut and taking off. Two more of his clones suddenly popped and it seemed to him as if their opponents had finally figured out the trick behind them. He skidded into a Sakura's back, forcing her forward a bit more than he intended and then they were both on the ground with one of the men on top of them.

Naruto felt something warm and sticky on his hand and he glanced down realizing that he had still had a kunai in his hand. The man above him opened his eyes in a glare as Naruto stared at him and tried to brace himself with one arm on the ground behind him so that he didn't have as much weight on Sakura. The man tightened his grip on the knife he had been aiming at the pink haired girl and drove it into Naruto's unguarded left side.

Naruto exhaled painfully and his eyes widened when the Kyuubi suddenly became more restless. He wrenched the knife out of his side and threw out of the way before placing his free hand on the bandit and pushing. The man stood up on his own, removing the kunai from his rib cage and tossing Naruto off to the side.

Sakura heard a woman in the caravan scream as she rolled to the side to avoid being grabbed by one of the men she had been fighting. Naruto's clones had disappeared and it was suddenly down to her and Sasuke against six men. Six men who apparently weren't complete idiots and kind of knew how to fight ninja, or at least against Genin.

Sakura scrambled to her feet and glanced to see where Sakura was, her eyes skimming over Naruto's still form and then taking in the blood already pooling underneath him. Sasuke glanced back at her freezing as he took in Naruto's appearance. "Get Kakashi's attention," Sakura shouted her hands moving into seals without thinking.

"Ikko Akechi no Jutsu," she muttered moving away from the men who had attacked her. Two of them froze proving that at least they had been caught in the jutsu but her legs wobbled underneath her from the sudden loss of chakra.

As Sasuke finally moved into action sending a Katon jutsu into the sky to catch their teacher's attention, Sakura pushed herself forward knowing that if she couldn't render the two men unconscious she would probably lose control of the genjutsu and then she would be defenseless and Sasuke would still be up against six men. She pulled out several shuriken as her legs gave out underneath her just meters from the two men and she threw one handful and then a second, but was disappointed when both men were pulled away. Forcing her self to scramble back still attempting to maintain her jutsu she flinched when one of the men picked up several of the discarded shuriken and threw them at her with surprising skill for a civilian.

She needn't have bothered with scurrying backwards as the shuriken were suddenly swatted aside by an arm sheathed in red chakra. Sakura stilled at the overwhelming pressure it created barely a meter from her. The man in front of them panicked and launched his knife at the boy in front of him; the knife stopped as it came in contact with the chakra and was repelled back towards the man before falling harmlessly to the ground several feet in front of him. Naruto turned around to face Sakura and she was shocked by the odd look in his eye. "Move," Naruto snarled before turning back to face his opponent. The man continued to watch the boy soundlessly when Naruto suddenly disappeared from in between Sakura and her opponent.

The men that Sasuke had been fighting each moved towards him but Naruto appeared above them bashing their heads into each other and knocking them out. Sasuke's eyes dilated trying to follow Naruto's movements as he darted away again in a flurry of red.

The next to go down was the scrawnier man that Naruto had been fighting initially. He moved back as Naruto landed in front of him but the blond jumped at him again and delivered a roundhouse kick to his head sending the man skidding into a nearby tree.

The two that had been caught in Sakura's genjutsu were almost completely ignored as they continued to sit off the side still in a daze. Rather sit and watch Naruto go up against the man who had stabbed him earlier, Sasuke reached into his equipment pouch and pulled out a length of wire as he approached them. Pausing only to pull the two men back to back, he looped the wire first around their wrists and finished by tying several lengths of it around the two men. He figured that their lack struggling meant they were too drained by the genjutsu.

Naruto was still in the middle of his fight with his assailant. The man was struggling to avoid the kunai that had made it into his teammate's hand and Sasuke noted curiously that Naruto seemed more intent on actually injuring the man. Sakura screamed suddenly and he noticed the man dodge a set of shuriken, driving him straight into the range of Naruto's kunai. A hit that was only aimed to disable the man's arm sliced through his neck and, if the blood was anything to go by, the jugular had been hit.

Naruto moved to follow through with a second hit when his sensei suddenly appeared behind him snatching Naruto around the waist and spinning him to look him straight in the eye. After a moment, the look of ferocity faded off the blond's face and gave way to wide-eyed shock. "Just calm down," Kakashi whispered, placing Naruto back on his feet and turning to look at his other students.

Sakura was watching them warily and making her way back onto her feet. Sasuke appeared completely unconcerned with the sudden change in his teammate's behavior and he nodded towards the merchants that were beginning to come out of their shock. Naruto coughed strenuously and brought Kakashi's attention back to him, or more importantly to the blood still on his hoodie. Kakashi bent over a raised Naruto's shirt a few inches, making sure to wipe more of the blood off his skin, and nodded in satisfaction when the only remainder of his injury was a small pink scar. "You'll be fine, just stay with me for a minute," Kakashi told him.

Naruto nodded but pointed down to the injured man still lying on the ground. Kakashi looked closely and noted that he was still breathing painfully and his eyes were wide in shock. "Gorou," Kakashi called out looking back towards the trees as he crouched next to the injured man. When a blond man appeared next him glancing at Naruto warily, Naruto to a quick step away from and watched him cautiously as he leaned down next to Kakashi. "He missed the jugular," Kakashi stated, taking out a wad of gauze from one of his vest pockets and placing it over the wound. "Take him back to town and get him healed so we can question him later. While you're there, send the magistrate out here to get the other five."

"I don't take orders from you," Gorou growled.

"I'm not done with you yet," Kakashi stated lowly looking at the other man. "Do this and maybe our next talk won't last as long."

Gorou sneered but a quick glance at Naruto had him picking up the injured man and heading back towards the town. Kakashi glanced up and frowned as Naruto blinked in confusion and shook his head as the red faded out of his eyes again. "What did you do to our guards?" a man shouted in outrage finally approaching Kakashi.

"Guards? Five of these men are known bandits," Kakashi stated pulling a set of papers out of his vest. "We were hired to capture them."

"They were our guards," a man Sakura recognized as the head of the caravan shouted back.

"We caught them robbing us," another man stated moving them forward. "We had confronted them and the kid showed up after they attacked us."

The caravan and two other merchants who had approached with him continued to stare at them in disbelief. "We aren't lying," another man insisted. "He threw me into the last cart," he said pointing to the broken cages that had been knocked onto the ground. "The kid showed up and used those…the-"

"Replications," Sakura supplied.

"Yeah, he used them to separate them from us and was just trying to restrain them but they kept struggling against them. He saw my wife calming down my daughter with sign language so he had one of his…replications bring her over to interpret for him."

"Where were you?" Kakashi asked holding his hand up for the man to pause and turning to Sakura.

"I was circling around the caravan to make sure they weren't attacking multiple locations but by the time Sasuke and I arrived they were already fighting," Sakura answered a bit ashamed that she had sent Naruto to the back alone.

"He had my wife tell them to stop struggling and that they would be able to clear it up when his teammates arrived. When she mentioned teammates they started fighting more and kept knocking the animals loose," the man stated.

Kakashi nodded and turned away from the merchants completely. "Sakura, Sasuke tie the other three up and then cancel whatever genjutsu is on those two, it's still draining your chakra," he told her. Sakura immediately moved to follow his orders but Sasuke had stilled and was staring at Kakashi's eyes. Kakashi reached up and pulled his forehead protector back over his left eye. "Help your teammate Sasuke," Kakashi repeated turning back to keep a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Are there any injuries among your people?" Kakashi asked, ignoring the caravan leader and turning to the men who had explained what happened.

Both men shook his head and Kakashi nodded. "You two done?" he asked Sakura and Sasuke gaining a nod and a glare. "Good help them gather up all the animals that got away while we wait for the magistrate to show up. These guys will help you," Kakashi told them performing several hand seals before slamming his hand onto the ground. Two small dogs appeared before him and pointed them in Sasuke's direction.

"Is your side alright?" Kakashi asked quietly as Sakura easily picked up two of the rabbits that had escaped and brought them back over to the caravan. Several workers were already busy preparing new cages for the animals and took them from her thankfully. Naruto nodded tiredly and looked up at Kakashi nervously. "Help them out for now but take a break if it starts to bother you. The healing factor is still a bit questionable," Kakashi stated nudging Naruto in the direction of his teammates. He fought the urge to snicker when he noticed a small white puppy rotating between nipping at Sakura's heels and forcing his own pug dog, Pakkun, to play with it instead of finding the other escaped dogs.

As Sakura nearly tripped over the small dog a third time she finally gave it the attention it had been aiming for and picked it up. When she tried to hand it over to the merchants, it squirmed out of her arms and took off after Pakkun.

Sakura sighed and brought back several more rabbits to add to the ten that Naruto had managed to collect and the four dogs that Sasuke had found before the puppy made its way back to her yipping excitedly as it nudged her forward towards the tree line. Sakura followed it in annoyance and was surprised when it nudged some taller grass out of the way to reveal several small bunnies that she hadn't noticed. She shrugged off the coat her sensei had convinced her to wear after Merinda continually expressed concern about the girl catching a cold on patrol and placed the bunnies in it before carrying them back to caravan. One of the young women nearly squealed in delight as she handed them to her.

"Well, do you know where any others are?" Sakura asked looking down at the excitable puppy. The little dog yipped in response and took off back the way they had just come. When he revealed more of the hiding animals, Sakura called out for her teammates to help her gather all of them. Pakkun had walked back over to Kakashi and was sitting lazily as his younger partner, Monomi, followed Sasuke around occasionally corralling one of the missing dogs or rabbits.

"What exactly are all the animals for?" Kakashi finally asked.

"Pets and livestock. We sell mainly to agricultural families," one of the men answered. "We probably have twenty puppies. Almost a hundred rabbits – at least half of them got out. If we can get at least half of them back I'll be happy," the man admitted.

"The last move Naruto used expelled a lot of chakra; it might have scared them off so I'm not sure how many we'll find in the area."

"Actually they already found all but ten and the two dogs took off like they were on the trail of more," a woman spoke up.

Kakashi snickered as Sakura came running back onto the road with several more bunnies huddled in her jacket and giggling madly. Monomi and the white puppy appeared moments later followed by two angry young Genin who were both sopping wet.

"Sakura," Kakashi called out sternly as soon as his young student had handed over the bunnies she was carrying.

"It was the dog's fault," Sakura giggled pointing to the small white puppy that was still following her around.

"How so?"

"It tripped them when they were trying to reach those guys," Sakura snickered pointing at the bunnies she had handed over.

"Well at least you returned the bunnies unharmed," Kakashi said smiling at the boys as they glared at their teammate and the small dog she was playing with. "Pakkun, Monomi, you're done here," he added dismissing both of his summons.

"Are you missing anymore?" Sakura asked.

"Just that one," the woman said pointing to the small dog sitting at Sakura's feet. She smiled and leaned down to pick him up. "Thanks for your help," she told the dog, scratching his ears lightly before handing to the woman. The puppy immediately began whining and struggling to get away from her. The merchant that Kakashi had been talking to laughed out loud and walked over to the woman, plucking the puppy from her grasp. "I think this one is no longer ours," he laughed handing the small dog back to Sakura. "I hope that in the future he can be as helpful to you as he was today," he told her with a gracious nod.

Sakura's eyes widened and she turned back to Kakashi in question. Kakashi walked forward and whispered in her ear, "Just tell him thank you and that the dog will be trained in hopes that one day he will help our clients as he did today." Sakura nodded to him and repeated what he told her while stroking the puppies head happily. The dog yipped excitedly and licked her face.

'She's keeping the dog?' Naruto signed curiously.

Kakashi nodded happily and waved to the merchant as he moved back about his business. "And it's going to be training with us?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes," Kakashi told him in confusion.

Both boys exchanged a smirk and the dog whined when they turned to look at it. "I think we just found a moving target," Sasuke muttered.

"You stay away from him," Sakura glared, comforting the dog as it continued to whine.

'Stray kunai here, rogue shuriken there,' Naruto signed more to himself than anyone else.

"Alright, that's enough out of you two," Kakashi stated, slapping his hands down on their shoulders and leading them to the side of the road. "The magistrate is finally here. The three of you will go with Gorou and help take the bandits back into town. I'll stay here and deal with him. If they don't need your help in town, then go back to our client's house and rest."

All three nodded and moved over towards the taller blond man who had showed up with the magistrate. "I'm not babysitting you three," Gorou stated looking at them nervously.

"We're just supposed to help you take them back to town," Sakura explained smiling disarmingly.

"What's he saying?" Gorou asked, ignoring Sakura and turning to Naruto.

"He wants to know if the bandit you took back survived," Sasuke informed him as he helped Naruto push two of the bandits onto the cart the magistrate had sent for them.

"I'm sure he'll live. He was waking up when the doc came in to take a look at him. Waste of air in my opinion."

"We didn't ask your opinion," Sasuke retorted as he undid the wires binding the other three so that they could move them onto the cart. Gorou paused when Sasuke's glaring eyes glinted at him and Naruto suddenly froze almost causing Sakura to collapse under the weight of the man they were carrying.

"Let's get them back to town," Gorou stated his voice a notch deeper than before. He grabbed the two remaining men and threw them into the cart before picking up the man Sakura and Naruto were carrying and throwing him on top of the others. "Get on the cart so that you don't collapse on the way to town. If you do, I won't carry you," he added.

Naruto shivered slightly under his stare and moved onto the cart next to Sakura. As the cart began moving, Naruto slowly calmed again and Sakura turned to Gorou curiously. "We have a bet. Did you not come back because you were lazy and wanted us to finish up here or did you not want to run into ninja?" she asked.

Gorou glared at her but she noticed that his eyes were grayer than before. "He's a missing nin. Kaka-sensei recognized him," Sasuke smirked.

"Stupid know-it-all," Gorou muttered shifting his glare to Sasuke. "An Uchiha without a sharingan. You're more pathetic than him," he added pointing to Naruto.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sakura asked, the small puppy in her lap began to growl in his response to her own anger and she petted it soothingly.

Gorou's eyes shifted to the blue she had seen before and he coldly stated, "Keep quiet until we reach town."

All three Genin silenced and spent the remainder of the ride to tow glaring at the older man.

When Kakashi returned three hours later, Merinda met him at the door with a frown. "Naruto's shirt was covered with blood but he insisted that he wasn't injured and he refused to meet with the doctor," she stated.

"He wasn't lying. He was healed already. I'll have a medic take a second look in Konoha but he'll be fine until then," Kakashi told her.

Merinda looked unconvinced. "I fed them and told them to go to sleep. Since your mission is done, I ask that you actually let them sleep a full night before leaving. When Gorou brought them here, he said the two of you could finish your discussion at his apartment. I trust you remember where it is?" she asked.

"Right I'll take care of that. Thank you for your hospitality," Kakashi told her bowing as he back out the door again. As he walked back down the street, he could clearly hear Merinda muttering about irresponsible bachelors and poor bewildered teenagers in need of a mother's care. He doubted it would help his case if he bothered to tell her that all three were motherless.

As soon as he heard her shut the door, he took to the roofs and crept along silently as he made his way back to the house. He peeked into the window of the room his students had been stashed in and sighed in relief when he saw the inside door still closed. He slowly opened the window and crept inside. He placed a hand over Naruto's mouth and slowly shook him awake. The younger boy's eyes shot open but he calmed down when Kakashi backed off and allowed him to sit up. Kakashi moved back to the window and motioned for Naruto to follow quietly.

Naruto followed him nervously as Kakashi led him over the roofs of the nearest houses before landing on the street near the gate out of town. "First thing. Please tell me you actually had some proof of who I was before you followed me this far," Kakashi stated.

Naruto rolled his eyes and pointed the papers that had been hastily placed back in his pocket. "Okay I'll buy that for now but I'm sure Gorou would have picked up on that I could technically be him," Kakashi told him.

Naruto fervently shook his head at that and Kakashi motioned for him to explain. Naruto chewed on his lip for a moment before sighing, 'It reacts badly around him,' was all he managed.

"It? You mean Kyuubi?" Kakashi asked gaining a nod from Naruto. "Well that makes sense. He's a jinchuriki. Probably the Gobi but I'm not certain. And since we're on the topic, you are aware that you used its chakra today, right?"

Naruto frowned and nodded edging away from Kakashi.

"Cut that out. You aren't in trouble. Judging by the scar on your side he probably took control after you passed out or at least because you were wounded. Do you remember any of it?"

Naruto thought for a minute before shrugging and pointing to Kakashi. "You just remember me snapping you out of it?" he clarified gaining another nod and a yawn from Naruto.

Kakashi was drawn away from Naruto when he heard deep laughter from the alley they had just passed. "Is there a reason you're here?" he asked turning to look at Gorou.

The other man's eyes appeared slightly iridescent in the darkness and Naruto shivered as his stomach began to squirm. "I came out to find you and saw your other students sneaking out so I followed them. But man, I knew there was something wrong with this one; I don't think I ever would'a guessed that the great Kyuubi would get stuck in a mute kid. That is priceless," Gorou laughed out loud.

Naruto's eyes widened as the unease in his stomach grew worse. Kakashi glanced over at him and reached out to steady him as Naruto suddenly doubled over and retched. He coughed harshly several time only expelling a small amount of blood as he agitated his throat. He glanced up at his sensei dizzily before suddenly clamping his hands over his ears. "Naruto?" Kakashi finally questioned as his student continued to stare banefully at the ground trying to block out noise.

"Kid doesn't even know how to communicate with his demon," Gorou laughed.

"At least he can fight without relying on it. As I recall, you didn't even try to fight without it. No wonder you're known as nothing but a jinchuriki. Without your demon you'd be nothing," Kakashi replied harshly. "Naruto won't have that problem."

"Sounds like he already has. That spy tried to kill him didn't he? That explains why the Hokage is out for blood. Poor little genin targeted just because he's a jinchuriki and nothing else," Gorou taunted, glaring at Kakashi.

"Gorou, you're trying my patience. Leave my student be," Kakashi stated, pushing his forehead protector out of the way. Gorou looked up over at him and his grin suddenly dropped off his face. His eyes glinted again and his voice deepened as he leaned down to look into Naruto's face. "Listen well and tell that mutt that if he ever dares to show his filthy muzzle again they will know," he growled. "Even if it means compromising myself."

Kakashi watched in interest as the man finally turned to look at him. The eyes were definitely bluer than they had been a moment before and the chakra felt more demonic even though the man wasn't doing anything with it. "Wonderful, a botched seal. Are you the reason he can't give me any information about Kumogakure?" he asked.

"That village was below my presence. Nekomata preferred to stay and play with them but I would not submit myself to it, even through this host."

"Which one are you?"

"Houkou, the Gobi to you ninja." The man smirked before adding, "I've_met_ one of your line before."

"I'm sure you have," Kakashi stated grimacing as he pulled Naruto back over, noting that the boy had actually calmed down after the threat Houkou had given to the fox. "We'll be leaving tomorrow. Just keep your host out of Konoha's way and there will be no trouble," he added backing up towards the more populated street.

"Sakura and Sasuke head back now," he added turning to see his other students behind him. He knew that he had been quiet enough that they wouldn't have heard what he said to Naruto but Gorou hadn't cared and if Kakashi's regular luck was anything to go by he was going to have to find away to keep the two silent when they returned to Konoha. Neither genin moved and he turned, breathing a sigh of relief when he found them staring at Gorou and not Naruto.

"Keep your word," Houkou stated, walking past the Genin and disappearing down the street without a glance.

"What was he?" Sakura finally asked.

"This isn't a topic for right now. I'll explain it tomorrow," Kakashi stated.

"Then why were you out here with him?" Sakura asked.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow. Right now if I don't get the three of you back in bed I'll get yelled at by our client," Kakashi told her sternly.

As it was, he got yelled at anyway. Merinda was waiting in the room when Sakura snuck back in the window and she waited until all three were inside before approaching Kakashi and ranting about how he went against her request. She seemed more upset about the fact that the three had snuck out without shoes or coats than the fact that they had used a second story window.

XX _Day 13: End of Mission_ XX

Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke were told to skip training the next morning and instead quickly packed as Kakashi finished their business with their clients. They were out of the town before morning crowds arrived and the small puppy happily trailed behind the three as trekked along the road. After about an hour Kakashi summoned Pakkun and ordered the pug to dog sit while he had a talk with his students.

"Is this about Gorou?" she asked.

"That depends. Gorou and the Gobi were both present last night. You probably caught the shifts in personality while he was speaking," Kakashi stated.

"Gobi? Houkou the demon?" Sakura asked.

"Yes. He was sealed outside of mist about twenty-two years ago. Gorou is apparently a jinchuriki: the host that he was sealed in," Kakashi informed her.

"That's what that chakra was yesterday?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes. I'm not sure what you heard last night but I'm going to guess that Gorou has fairly little skill. He was only a Chuunin when he was declared a missing Nin and its questionable how much of that skill was even his own. Houkou seems to take control the moment the situation gets sticky."

"Is what he said to Naruto true?"

Naruto turned to Sasuke with wide eyes and backed closer to Kakashi. "Calm down," Kakashi told him, frowning at Naruto's behavior. "That depends on what you heard."

"He said Naruto was only attacked because he was a jinchuriki. That means he has a demon sealed in him, right?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes, but the seal is more stable than Gorou's which is why the Kyuubi can't surface," Kakashi explained.

"Kyuubi?" Sakura asked faintly. "Is that what the red chakra was after he was stabbed?"

"Most likely. The chakra heals him frequently and it probably decided to remove the rest of the risk after Naruto passed out," Kakashi told her nonchalantly.

"Who attacked him because he was jinchuriki? I thought he got into a fight with Mizuki-sensei but Gorou mentioned a spy," Sasuke continued, looking a bit jealous at his teammate's potential but otherwise nonplussed by the news.

"Mizuki-sensei was the spy. As far as we can figure, he was recruited by Kumogakure. He convinced Naruto to steal a scroll as part of test and then he and another ninja from Kumogakure attacked. The woman was who injured Naruto. They escaped but they didn't manage to get the scroll," Kakashi explained.

"You said Naruto's seal was more stable, but how did Kyuubi manage to take control?" Sakura asked cautiously.

"Naruto was wounded near fatally. Like I said, after dealing with the injury, it seems he decided to take out the rest of the threats. It didn't look like he went near either of you and when I arrived Kyuubi retreated showing that Naruto still had control."

"I assume we aren't supposed to tell the Hokage about Kyuubi or Gorou," Sasuke guessed.

"That's preferable. Right now, Gorou isn't a threat but if we threaten him, Houkou may take control again and whoever is sent after him is likely to be killed. And we won't be telling the Hokage about Kyuubi until Naruto displays more conscious control over its chakra without tapping into is psyche."

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"Because I say so," Kakashi stated. "The Hokage and the councilors aren't bad people but they do have a village to protect. If they see training Naruto to fully access and use the Kyuubi's chakra as the way to do it then they will. It may make him stronger, but it could also drive him insane. It would force him to stop relying on his own skills in favor of taking them from beast dumb enough to get trapped in the first place," he added. "In short he'd probably end up like Gorou."

"Is that why you're training him?" Sakura asked suddenly.

"What?"

"To keep him from losing control. You stopped him when he was fighting earlier," she added.

"No. He probably would have responded to either of you as long as you didn't threaten him. I'm training him because they know I won't tell them when he accesses Kyuubi's chakra. As long as they don't know, he doesn't have to leave regular training. It's the least they can do," Kakashi explained, smiling at her. "Now will you keep quiet about it?"

"I suppose. As long as it isn't hurting him," Sakura answered. Sasuke shrugged in agreement, but Kakashi noticed that he was paying more attention to Naruto and he frowned.

_This is not going to be a fun return._

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

_I almost didn't recognize her_, was the first thing that ran through Haruno Sanzo's mind as he shook his head and moved to squat down in front of his fidgeting daughter. He silently waved the three men still in the doorway towards the kitchen so that he could focus on her. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

"Fine," Sakura responded despondently.

"You don't sound or look fine," her father insisted. "Did something happen on a mission?"

"Not really," Sakura claimed. "Although I did get a dog."

Sanzo froze and he heard snickers from his kitchen. "You what?"

"Well, we helped this caravan see. And one of the merchants gave me a dog as thanks. Sensei called it derivative payment," Sakura claimed.

"We've been over this before," Sanzo stated.

"I've never been given a dog for free before," Sakura countered. "You wouldn't say no to something as cute as Houkou," she insisted.

"Houkou?" one of the men in the kitchen asked in disbelief.

"I let Sasuke name him. Sensei thought it was funny so I let it stand," Sakura told them.

"And where is Houkou now?" Sanzo asked.

"With Sasuke."

"And can Houkou stay with Sasuke?"

"Nope. He doesn't like dogs. The only reason Houkou is with him is because I told him to pester Sasuke until our team had to meet again," Sakura answered.

"And can Houkou stay with your sensei?"

"Nope. I'm the only he'll stay with. He whines around my other teammates," Sakura chirped proudly. "Oh! That reminds me. I used Ikko Akechi and I didn't pass out!"

Sanzo narrowed his eyes at his daughter's change in subject but her grin didn't waver. "Can we get back to talking about the dog please?"

"Nope," Sakura said.

Sanzo opened his mouth to argue when there was a sharp knock on the door. "That's Sasuke, I have to go," Sakura declared jumping off the couch and darting out the door.

Sanzo gazed after her despondently for a moment before drawing chuckles out of the other ninja by muttering, "Why did I have to get stuck with a teenage girl?"

Sakura and Sasuke reached their training field with Houkou at their heels. Kakashi and Naruto were already waiting, the latter shifting his weight impatiently. "Well then let's talk. What could we have done to be better prepared to take a riskier mission and to prepare for complications on that mission?" Kakashi asked.

"We needed a way for Naruto to communicate without sign language," Sasuke told him immediately.

"Good. I'm starting to think I was right in recommending you for squad leader," Kakashi told him proudly. He was shocked when Sasuke shook his head in the negative.

"Sakura should be," Sasuke told him almost grudgingly much to the surprise of his teammates. "She thought of it before the mission. She knew we weren't ready. We talked her out of telling you," he admitted. "Besides she knew something was wrong on the mission before I did."

"Oh. Well in that case…you guys are dismissed for the day I gotta go talk to the Hokage. Just make sure you go through the day's training first."

The three Genin blinked in surprise when Kakashi disappeared from in front of them. Sakura turned to the other two scowling. "He is such a…a…I swear he must be dying his hair silver to cover the fact that he's a blond," she finally settled on saying.

Naruto scowled at the insult but shrugged. 'Pervert's just messed up,' he concluded smartly for his teammates.

* * *

Agent's Spiel: Before you get really confused, you understood it correctly if you caught on that Sakura's nickname has been changed from Blossom to Pinky. Naruto will probably continue to use both depending on whether or not he's sucking up to her but anyone else using sign language to talk about her has switched to Pinky.

Anko's nickname is Orange – it shouldn't be that hard to figure out the reason, but if you're confused just be patient, it will be explained eventually.

This won't come in yet but since they just revealed the name of the Fourth Hokage in the manga I'm going to be using that name in the future. I've only referred to him by his first name once (as Arashi) so I went back and changed that to the name they just gave us obviously this is a spoiler (not much of one but it is) so for the future you've been warned. I also made a mistake last chapter when Anko mentioned her guardian – it was her Aunt and not her cousin so that was fixed too.

And lastly. Nii Gorou is an original character and not the jinchuriki we have already seen in the manga, I'm not dumb so if you recognize his surname it isn't a mistake. It'll get explained eventually (or you might figure it out on your own).

I've had a few reviewers comment on my updating rate and, yes, I know I'm slow – especially if you consider the nearly year long break I took. I would like to update more often, I'd like it even more if I could blame the slow updates on a hectic social life or something but the truth is I'm typically just lazy or going through long straits of writer's block. The chapters come out when they come out because I hate my writing when I force myself into it and I'm writing this for me as much as I am to share with you guys.

Thanks to _Flame Rising_, I think your review was actually the first real flame I got for this story. I've had a few other critical reviews, but yours was definitely the first I'd consider a flame. I smoked a celebratory cigarette just in honor so maybe you'll get your wish and I'll die of lung cancer or something for you. I can only hope that one day you and those like you find something that interests them on this site…although that is very doubtful. Oh who cares, you're not reading this anyways.

Thanks to all my other reviewers:

_Kage Husha,__Shinsei Tsukiko,_ _Arcane Emotions,_ _Symphonious,__mscs3,_ _Edengrave,_ _cdkobasiuk,_ _DarkRavie,__Archangel Rhapsody,_ _Bobboky,_ _obliviandragon,__JohnnyG,_ _frogger666,_ _insanechildfanfic,__RaitenKitsune,_ _AznPuffyHair,_ _mikatsuki.arashi,__japanese-jew,_ _Itallia,_ _LachwenII,_ _rianifitria,__Tombadgerlock,_ _Hiei's Cute Girl,_ _Azamiko,__Raimundo,_ _Yami Umi,_ _Dark-Syaoran,_ _thecorrupted,__Akitesyu,_ _AnkukoTenma, cutsycat, Marz1, Pendulous Threads, Azamiko, bottlecaps, causeiambetta, BukkakeNoJutsu, ADD Kyuubi Naruto, Lord-Scruffy, Lupanari, SongoftheDarquePhoenix, notter, Jasmine Bloomberg, snowecat, Myst Shadow, thegentrygmail,__Guardian Dimension_

If you were all like _FR_ I'd probably be laughing a lot more but I also wouldn't be writing and then I would have no excuse not to do my homework. Just a quick note, I've been really disconnected since like June and I can't remember if I actually responded to well anyone who sent me reviews or if I just archived them. If you asked a question and I didn't get back to you and you still need an answer just PM me. Otherwise I'm sorry I have such a low rate of response I really do appreciate your reviews, they make putting this story online completely worth it.

If anyone is still reading this I'd like your opinions on the scene breaks I used in this chapter. I don't usually like denoting time like this, but did it make the chapter more bearable?


	11. Living I

Agent's Spiel: I wasn't going to post this just yet, but I just finished reading chapter 382 of the manga and I couldn't not post because damn was I almost crying during that chapter. If you aren't as familiar with the manga as you are the anime I'd really recommend taking the time to read it.

A bit more training in this one, but mainly just hints; the real action will come in the later chapters. And, apparently, after the last couple of chapters my subconscious decided that the characters were getting along too well, hence pretty much the entire first half of this chapter.

I didn't really get any response last chapter so I figured I'd try denoting time in scene changes again. I also added a regular 'X' in between smaller scene changes since the paragraph gaps I put in last chapter didn't show up at all. Any comments on whether or not you find this helpful would be appreciated.

Also, I think I like spending less time editing. I don't really have the patience to deal with grammar problems right now – at least not ones that aren't caught by spell check – so if you see something I missed and point it out it'll be corrected but otherwise expect to see at least a slight drop in quality for the time being.

**Quick note:**This wasn't brought up last chapter but the town that they were in was called Sarutoshi. It is mentioned in this chapter by that name.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts, congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course, it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Living**

_XX Week 1: Day 1 XX_

"Now I've been thinking over everything we discussed on the mission and our discussion yesterday and I believe it is absolutely necessary to take your training to the next level. For the next three weeks, we will be doing nothing but training. However, since you actually work well as a team now I want to focus your training individually. To help me with that Anko and Iruka will be working with you as well," Kakashi told the three, smiling.

Sakura gaped at her sensei's introduction. He had jumped right into his spiel after arriving four hours late – they had already completed their entire personal training regiments – and hadn't even bothered to give an excuse. Iruka coughed in annoyance and Kakashi looked over as if just realizing that Iruka and Anko had already both arrived. "Oh good you're here so we can start," he said happily.

"Kakashi I figured you'd be late but I still had to wait an hour," Anko drawled in annoyance as she slowly drew a kunai out of the pouch on her hip.

"Let's avoid the violence right now. You'll need that energy to put up with Naruto for the first week or our rotation," Kakashi declared. "Now here's how it's going to work-"

"I already explained it to them so that we wouldn't lose anymore time after your arrival. Since you said Anko is taking Naruto this week that means Sasuke is going with you; so why don't we just split up and get started," Iruka interrupted.

"Let's go Naruto, we'll use my training ground to give these guys some space," Anko said motioning for Naruto to follow her. "What time do you need him by tonight?" she added looking back towards Iruka.

"Sakura is your father in town?" Iruka asked gaining a quick nod from Sakura. "What time does he want you back for dinner?"

"Six."

"Bring Naruto to my place around then. Sakura will join us after dinner so we can work with them again," Iruka told her.

Anko nodded and Naruto trudged off behind her, snickering at how appalled Kakashi managed to look with only one visible eye. Iruka motioned for Sakura to follow him and Sasuke looked up at Kakashi expectantly, barely managing to keep his smirk subdued. "I should make you sit here all day as your training," Kakashi muttered angrily, pulling out his book and flipping through the pages in search of his favorite part.

"And Kakashi if I find out you're wasting any of their time in retaliation I'll keep them back from training and give them something useful to do," Iruka called back.

Sasuke lost his battle with the grin that had been fighting to appear on his face as Kakashi dropped the book in his hands. "Behave this week and I'll change your code name," Kakashi finally stated, leading Sasuke away from their meeting spot and towards Team 7's regular training ground. Once they arrived there, Kakashi turned to look at Sasuke seriously. "What exactly did Iruka explain to the three of you?"

"He said that you felt we would benefit from one on one work in certain areas. The only ones he named specifically were that Anko was working with Naruto on taijutsu and that you would work with Sakura and Houkou," Sasuke explained. "And that in the evenings – and mornings when you're late – he'll begin training us to use a secondary means of communication but he didn't explain what it was yet."

"Good then I'll explain specifically what we'll be working on this week: the Sharingan."

"I haven't even activated it yet," Sasuke pointed out.

"But you're close. That much was obvious during our last mission. When Naruto let the Kyuubi gain control how much of his movement could you follow?"

"When I was paying attention, all of it," Sasuke told him.

"Did you just see a red a blur or could you actually see him?"

"I could see him sometimes, but it started out as a red blur."

"When Naruto isn't around, ask Sakura what she saw and you'll understand why we're working on this. As for what we're going to do, typically the sharingan activates for the first time when an Uchiha with the genetic disposition to possess it is put in a combat situation where their skills are suddenly…not enough. That's why it activates in adolescents so often; they're on missions and put up against someone faster or stronger. Your body automatically feeds excess chakra to the eyes. In the case of this past mission, your teammate suddenly moved faster than you had ever seen him move and you watched; in part out of concern and confusion, in part out of fear."

Sasuke opened his mouth to argue but Kakashi shook his head. "One minute he's on the ground dead the next he's surrounded by potent chakra and your eyes can barely see his movements. This causes them to adjust. Even Gorou saw it, well not so much him as Houkou. Three Genin are not a threat. A fellow jinchuriki can be a threat but not if it is clear that while the host is conscious the demon cannot exert control – which is why he risked threatening Kyuubi. An Uchiha can become a threat so Houkou surfaced after the fights were over when your eyes were still channeling excess chakra – not enough to activate the sharingan but enough to let the demon know who you are," he explained.

"So you think the sharingan is going to activate?" Sasuke clarified barely managing to keep a satisfied smirk off his face.

"Yes, but let me be very clear about something. Just because you can suddenly use the sharingan, when it activates, does not mean that you can shirk on the rest of your training. If you begin to rely on it, you'll never be as good as your teammates," Kakashi stated.

Sasuke frowned and looked up in confusion. "Using an advanced bloodline and it alone, even one as powerful as the Sharingan, is a weakness. Ignore the fact that you want to go after Itachi and focus on what it takes to be a good ninja. If you do that then maybe one day you will be good enough to fight him and win. A good ninja does not learn one trick and use it over and over again. If they do that, they can be countered. Do you understand?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke nodded grudgingly and waited for his sensei to continue. "Coaxing the sharingan to activate isn't easy and we might not succeed this week but I still want to try. We'll spend most of our time sparring. I'll progressively use fewer handicaps in hopes that it will push you to the point where you need it. If all we manage to do this week is give you a good work out and a few new tricks then so be it; it won't be a complete loss," Kakashi stated.

_X_

"Alright, did you understand what Iruka was telling you this morning?" Anko asked as she led Naruto into a secluded training area to the side of Hokage Mountain.

'I'm bad at taijutsu,' Naruto signed grinning apologetically.

"That's not what he said brat," Anko chastised. "Your problem is that you didn't pay attention to learning the forms at the academy so your fighting comes across like something better suited for a brawl than a fight with another ninja. This can be beneficial against ninja incapable of adjusting to such erratic movements. Against a civilian, like during your last mission, this puts you at a major disadvantage especially when you're limited in ninjutsu as well. When you're up against someone who is as untrained as you but also physically stronger you struggle much more than a ninja should," she explained.

'Are we going over forms again?' Naruto asked.

"Well that's what I'm supposed to be doing and since I don't want to anger Iruka we will spend a little time each morning reviewing the Academy taught forms. But I didn't learn them very well either since my Aunt taught me taijutsu so I figured I'd spend most of our time teaching you that style. I think you can master it, and even if you're more comfortable with the academy style you can use it as a last resort if you need to throw your opponent off, does that make sense?"

Naruto nodded eagerly and grinned as he waited for further instructions. "We'll start by going over the academy forms today. Starting tomorrow, we'll spend most of our time with my style. Each morning and each afternoon, we'll spar. So let's start with a spar," Anko told him shifting away with a grin. "Attack first," she said a moment later. With a quick grin, Naruto was off.

_X_

"I know I start working on training Houkou when I work with Kakashi-sensei but what am I doing the rest of the time?" Sakura finally asked as she continued to follow Iruka.

"I have no clue what Anko intends to teach you to be completely honest. I told Kakashi we'd go over some advanced genjutsu theory and chakra building exercises. He said you managed to use your father's genjutsu, but it drained you. The theory is to help you begin to create your own genjutsu if you decide to lean towards that area," Iruka explained.

"Do you use genjutsu?" Sakura asked curiously. She couldn't ever remember seeing Iruka use a jutsu that hadn't been in their curriculum at the academy.

"I can but I prefer not to. My leaning was always towards weaponry and earth jutsu," Iruka told her.

"Earth?"

"My parents didn't think very far ahead," Iruka chuckled at her obvious confusion. "Anyways, if you come up with a question that I can't help you with I can point you in the direction of genjutsu users who will be able to. We would have had you work with them all week, but the Sandaime doubted any of them would be completely free. For now I have a few scrolls in advanced theory that you can look over today and I know I can answer most questions that they'll raise, so we'll start there."

_X_

That night Iruka fought to control his laughter as he fed dinner to two pleased and snickering Jounin and two battered and tired Genin. He only hoped that both boys would be able to stay awake and pay attention for a few more hours once Sakura returned. When she skidded into his living room, wide eyed, fifteen minutes later, she silently walked over and sat down in between Naruto and Sasuke without a word.

Ignoring her odd behavior, Kakashi produced three small, leather bracelets and handed one to each of them. Sakura came out of her stupor and looked at them suspiciously. "These aren't going to seal our chakra are they?" she asked remembering the ones they had been tricked into wearing during their stint on the island.

"No these are more important than those," Kakashi informed her. "As the three of you figured out on this mission, it can be very dangerous for Naruto to not be able to communicate with the two of you during a fight."

"Start by putting those on," Iruka told her as he pulled out three small booklets. Once each of the Genin had attached the bracelets on their wrists, he handed them each a booklet.

"Wabun Code?" Sakura read. "I thought only non-ninja military used this?"

"They do, which is why it is perfect for the three of you. None of the ANBU silent codes are right for what you need at the moment. This will allow you to send short messages to each other, and once you're good enough they'll be able to prevent accidents like what happened on the mission," Kakashi stated.

"You were watching that entire fight. Weren't you?"

Kakashi's eye opened seriously at Sakura's question. "Not the entire thing. I got there right after Naruto got hurt but then I made him tell me exactly what happened," Kakashi explained.

"And you didn't consider it important to step in and help him?" Sasuke said.

"Neither did you or Sakura. You focused on the mission. As it was I wouldn't have been able to do anything for him and I knew that the Kyuubi would heal him. His healing rate was put to the test by Mizuki's partner and we were assured that it would continue to heal surface injuries," Kakashi told her.

"Just surface injuries? What does that mean?" Sakura asked.

"It means it heals the surface injury. In the case of the attack by Mizuki, he was left mute because although it healed the stab wounds it couldn't or wouldn't heal all of the internal damage. That's why he still can't talk," Kakashi informed her.

"Yes he can," Sakura interrupted gaining baffled looks from everyone but Sasuke.

"Excuse me?" Iruka asked.

"He can talk. I figured Kakashi-sensei heard it since he said he was there before Naruto stood back up. Naruto blocked several shuriken that one of the men threw at me; then he turned around, looked at me and said 'move'," Sakura claimed.

"Are you sure you weren't just reading his lips and supplying the sound. 'Move would be fairly easy to read even if you haven't really studied lip-reading much," Anko suggested.

"No. I heard it and he wasn't looking in my direction," Sasuke interrupted.

"And you didn't think to mention this before?" Kakashi asked.

"Forgot about it. It was only the one word," Sasuke shrugged.

"How do you forget about your mute teammate speaking?" Kakashi asked in confusion.

"Well that explains the regression in his throat's condition," Anko muttered, ignoring Kakashi's rhetorical question.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"You told me the demon didn't seem to understand that you couldn't talk, right?" Iruka asked turning to Naruto. The blond glared at him and turned away pointedly not answering his question.

"Naruto, you have to be willing to discuss this with us. The more you try to ignore it the more you're going to struggle as you get older," Anko stated more seriously than Sakura had ever heard her speak.

Naruto glared over at her but nodded reluctantly. "So it doesn't seem to understand that Naruto is mute. When it took over it didn't know how else to communicate so it somehow forced him to speak," Iruka said. "Does that mean there isn't really nerve damage? Or did the Kyuubi manage to temporarily heal it or something with the amount of chakra he was using?"

"I don't think its chakra would be able to do something like that," Anko countered. "It didn't manage to stop him from getting an infection from that stab wound and the poison is still technically in his system."

"He got an infection?" Sasuke asked.

"Apparently," Kakashi answered. "If it isn't actually nerve damage then do you think Tsumura-san is lying?" he asked ignoring his students in favor of turning back to Iruka and Anko.

"I don't think so. Unless he's really good at hiding it, he hasn't shown any hesitation in actually helping Naruto. He could be covering for someone else though, maybe another medic actually has the skills but he thinks that person would refuse," Iruka suggested.

"Why would someone refuse to help Naruto?" Sakura asked in disbelief.

"You did understand what I told you on the way back, right?" Kakashi asked.

"Don't phrase it like that you idiot," Iruka shouted back at him.

"Why would the seal matter?" Sakura spoke up trying to get someone to answer her question. "Hey what are you talking about?" she asked again as Kakashi and Iruka continued to ignore her. Anko was staring at the two men in disbelief as they immaturely descended into bickering that was more about Iruka interfering too much than about Naruto's health.

Sasuke was the only one to slowly follow after Naruto when he stormed off to his room. He knocked on the door once but didn't bother waiting for an answer. "They don't need to tell us anything," he said quietly through the door. "Just…just don't scare us like that again, idiot," he added reluctantly before turning to walk back to the living room. He pulled Sakura away from the adults, pausing only to pick up the booklet he had dropped, before walking out the door and slamming it loudly behind them.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"Going home."

"But what about what they were saying about Naruto? Why would someone-"

"Do you want to know so that you can help him or are you still looking for gossip?"

"Hey that's not fair," Sakura countered.

"Neither is the fact that Kakashi, Iruka and Anko were talking about him like he wasn't there Sakura. It's stupid and they're just making things worse. The longer we push for answers the more he'll resent us and we won't be able to work together anymore. If he ever wants to tell you what happened then let him come to you," Sasuke stated.

"Wait what?"

"He's obviously uncomfortable talking about. He flinches every time someone mentions the Kyuubi and Kakashi-sensei has the nerve to tell us not to talk about in front of him and then he brings it up and talks freely despite the fact that Naruto doesn't want to," Sasuke stated.

"Kakashi-sensei told you not to talk about it front of Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"He told me to ask you what you could see after it took over but he told me not to ask in front of Naruto," Sasuke answered.

"I guess they got angry that we didn't mention the fact that he spoke," Sakura suggested.

"Yeah. He pointed out that neither of us stopped to even check on Naruto and that he was watching but didn't step in either. Then we admit that we both heard Naruto talk while he was possessed or whatever. Then despite the fact that he obviously doesn't want them talking about it they explain his injuries and their regression over the past months while not letting him get a word in edgewise and Kakashi expects us to understand why people don't like Naruto just because of a seal which means it's common knowledge."

Sakura paused trying to comprehend the longest sentence - _Well, really more of a rant_, she realized – that she had ever heard Sasuke complete. "Okay, they're idiots. Why did we leave?"

"Because he didn't want us to hear what they were saying Sakura. The only way we can get him to trust us is by paying attention to what he wants and not what Anko, Iruka, and Kakashi are telling us," Sasuke stated walking away.

Sakura was fairly stupefied by what Sasuke had said and was left standing mutely for several moments. "Wait up!" she called out before running after him.

"What?" he asked in irritation.

"After he was possessed, I couldn't see anything. When he was still I could see him and this red aura like it was chakra but not when he was moving," she told him before turning back in the direction of her house and waving to him.

_XX Week 1: Day 2 XX_

Naruto met his teammates at the bridge early the next morning and went through their routine without complaint. However, both of his teammates noticed that his moves were more mechanical than usual and his eyes were heavy lidded and ringed with dark circles. He glared at Kakashi when he showed up on time and didn't bother looking at Iruka before he followed Anko to the training field they had used the day before.

After their initial spar and a brief review of academy taijutsu, Anko set about teaching him her own custom brand of taijutsu. He automatically copied her without a complaint but he refused to answer any questions or engage in a conversation about the benefits of using her style versus the academy's style. "Alright, that's it brat," Anko finally declared after four hours of the blond's grumpiness.

Naruto glared up at her and she turned away in aggravation when she recognized the angry signs that he threw at her. "Look I get it. You're pissed off at us, for good reason. But instead of giving us the…instead of refusing to… converse with us about this, why don't you act mature and help make sure it doesn't happen again," she suggested, choosing her words carefully.

'Can't,' Naruto responded tritely.

"Yes you can," Anko told him.

'No I can't,' Naruto retorted. 'Don't have words,' he added glaring at her dolefully.

"What?" Anko asked suddenly.

'I can't,' Naruto repeated before turning around and walking away.

Anko took a moment to process what he meant before realizing where he was going. "Oh no you don't. You do not walk away from me Uzumaki Naruto. Get back here now!" She shouted running after him and grabbing his arm. "Now see running off isn't going to make this any easier, so cut it out alright?" she told him.

Naruto paused and crossed him arms over his chest angrily. "Okay so learning sign language took a back burner to training for a while. That needs to be changed, those bracelets will help because outside of missions when you aren't limited by time you can use them when you don't know the signs for things," Anko started, not giving Naruto the time to fuss.

"However, we need to deal with the here and now at the moment and I don't have any paper on me so…I know, come with me," she continued, pulling him towards the very edge of the training field where a large brick fence was surrounded by an overgrown bank of flowers. Anko began haphazardly pulling handfuls of them out of the ground and handing them to Naruto. When the confused boy had an armful of them, she nodded and sat down, motioning for him to do so as well. "Now talk. We've got five hours till we go back to Iruka's and since you were so angry today you actually got pretty far," she told him grinning.

Naruto blinked at her in confusion before glancing down at the handful of flowers and cracking up. "Hey, not that I mind the laughing but you're supposed to be talking," Anko muttered as he continued to laugh at her ingenious idea. "Geez, try to be nice and I get laughed at."

_XX Week 1: Day 4 XX_

"You're not moving fast enough," Sasuke stated in aggravation.

"Excuse me?"

"If Naruto's movement was what started to make me focus then you need to at least go as fast as that," Sasuke pointed out.

"This was as fast as he was going," Kakashi retorted managing to hide his smirk.

"Liar," Sasuke muttered.

Kakashi shrugged and sped a bit more as his student's reddish eyes glared at him. _If he'd focus he'd be able to activate it in no time,_ Kakashi snickered to himself, which only served to aggravate Sasuke more.

_XX End of Week 1 XX_

Kakashi stared at his gathered team happily as they lugged heavy baskets of rock half way across the village. Admittedly, none of his students were currently speaking – or in Naruto's case signing – to him, but they had still accomplished quite a bit in their first week.

Sasuke was still put out that his sharingan hadn't activated until the last day of training. Apparently, it was Kakashi's fault that he wasn't told that activation wasn't completely innate. When Anko had asked him about it on the fourth evening, while Naruto was busy sending insulting codes to his teammates, Sasuke stared at her in shock when she suggested actively trying to manifest it. It worked the next morning and he spent the rest of the afternoon trying to desperately to kill his sensei. They had ended their day with a poignant reminder that Sasuke was still awaiting a new codename to replace 'bastard'.

Naruto was still uneasy around his teammates, but he was better off with them and Anko than he was with Kakashi or Iruka. It had gotten to the point where Anko had had to allow him to stay with her the night after their talk because he was still upset with both of his sensei. He had calmed down enough to finally talk to Iruka the next day, but Kakashi was still on his bad list and it was looking like he would probably stay there for a while unless he bought him a lot of ramen – apparently declaring Naruto's new nickname as 'Fox' was a bad thing to do when he was already pissed at the silver haired man.

Kakashi still wasn't entirely certain why Sakura wasn't speaking with him, although it may have had something to do her finally learning what genjutsu he had used before cutting her hair off. Or the fact that he had returned to his originally planned lateness. He still didn't understand why they didn't believe that he had stopped to help an old woman who swallowed a fly. _I really don't know why._

_XX Week 2: Day 1 XX_

"Sakura how am I supposed to train you to work with a dog when you don't bother to bring it with you?"

Sakura glared at her sensei and retorted viciously, "You told me last night that I was working with Anko this week and she doesn't like him so I didn't bring him along. It's not my fault Naruto is still refusing to work with you."

Kakashi glared at her reminder but sighed as she met his glare head on. "Fine. Right now I don't want to waste time having you run home to get him so I'll summon Pakkun and Monomi and show you some of the exercises. If we can get you comfortable with the commands, Houkou should respond quicker to your confidence," he suggested.

"We would have time to waste if you hadn't shown up three hours late. Pirate ninja monkeys my ass," Sakura growled as Kakashi summoned the two dogs.

_I liked that excuse_.

_X_

"Naruto, I know you don't want to hear this, but you do have to deal with Kakashi eventually. He's your sensei. I'm just your current guardian and Anko just happens to be helping out but officially Kakashi is in command," Iruka reminded Naruto as the younger boy stared angrily at the jutsu scroll he was reading.

After Anko had explained the problem, which had taken an hour of conversing with flower stems for her to learn, Iruka and Naruto had had a very long conversation which only ended when Iruka promised to use some of their evening training periods to continue the team's knowledge of sign language. He was surprised when Sakura and Sasuke had agreed to the training without question and was beginning to believe that he had completely underestimated both of them. Especially if Sasuke's display the week before had meant anything.

'Pervert called me Fox,' Naruto signed angrily.

"Yes and it was…okay it isn't even rude Naruto. I know you don't like being connected with the Kyuubi, but it isn't something that can be reversed. It sounds harsh but you do have to deal with it and I would think it would be easier to do with your friends than on your own," Iruka countered.

'What friends?' Naruto signed pouting angrily.

"For starters Sasuke and Sakura. I think they would both be offended by what you just said. Look, I know you don't like this. You're getting restless and bored because you're rarely around more than five other people and you can't go out on your own. I'm sorry for that. But someone had to have recruited Mizuki and the Sandaime doesn't think we've caught that person. It won't be for much longer, just a few months. It seems unbearable but you can deal with this if you'll just have a little patience with us," Iruka explained.

'He called me fox.'

"Would you have preferred that he called you blondie, orphan, or dead last?" Iruka asked more harshly than intended. "You were in a bad mood when you chose your teammates' nicknames and he's repaying that at the moment. If you'd try a bit harder to get along with him he probably wouldn't push you like this," he explained tiredly.

Naruto glared at him and snatched up the scroll he had been reading before taking it with him and shutting himself inside his room. Iruka remained at the kitchen table watching a bit helplessly. "How is it that Anko is the only one who manages to actually handle him?" he muttered as he dropped his head into his hands.

_X_

Sasuke stared at the woman in front of him as she studied him closely. "I really wish I had Sakura this week," she finally admitted. "I have no clue what to teach you and you don't have the foundation in genjutsu that Sakura currently has so it isn't like I can just reuse the lesson I had planned for her."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and Anko snickered at the movement drawing a glare from the Uchiha. "So what name did Kakashi come up with for you?" she asked, disappearing and popping up next to him.

Sasuke's eyes bled red and she grinned evilly as she waited for an answer. "It's a stupid name," he finally told her.

"Stupid could be better than insulting. What is it?"

"Hunter."

"See that wasn't so hard. Maybe we should work on your conversation skills," Anko suggested moving back in front of him. Sasuke was growing slightly unnerved by the movements she was displaying. Unlike Kakashi who appeared lazy in everything he did – including fighting – and Iruka who barely moved better than a civilian most of the time, he had noticed an odd habit Anko had of rotating between fidgeting, loud movements – similar to Naruto – and suddenly acting like she was always in the middle of fight – regardless of what she was really doing. It wouldn't bother him as much, but by the end of the previous week he had caught Naruto at it twice, and seeing the blond display the same quiet, graceful movements had unnerved him almost as much as seeing the blond engrossed in red chakra with feral red eyes.

"You think too much. Don't think just talk," Anko suggested.

"What?"

"You think too much, that's why you don't talk. I shouldn't really say don't think just talk; if you do that you'll be like Kakashi and at the moment he's managed to make Naruto get as close to hating someone he actually knows as I've ever seen. You should think, but think and talk equally," she explained.

"That made no sense."

"Yes it did, you're just thinking too much about it. You see if you talk, act and think at the same time you end up doing them equally. If you think too much, you end up lazy or silent. If you talk too much, you'll probably end up either lazy or stupid. And if you act too much, you'll end up either stupid or silent. None of those are good so you should think, act, and talk in about the same amount."

"No, that really makes no sense."

"Naruto doesn't converse as much as he used to but his action has stayed about the same, what have you noticed about his intelligence?" Anko asked seriously. "I could ask the same about Sakura as well."

Sasuke stared at her in disbelief and Anko sighed. "That wasn't a rhetorical question. What have you noticed about your teammates? I'm starting to think that what you need to learn about most is people."

"Naruto's smarter and Sakura acts more," Sasuke answered glaring at her. "I know about people."

"No. You know what you don't like about people. You don't know how to deal with them. You're incompetent in all social interactions outside of fighting. That's fine if we end up in another war and you're sent to the front. But even as a body guard you need to know how to deal with people," Anko told him. "Of course that's probably why Sakura's on a team with you and Naruto. Her dad's a diplomat and she's learned from him. As she's been maturing the past couple of months her behavior has shown this, when she wants it to.

"It's sad really. None of you have social lives. I know why I'm ostracized. I know why Naruto remains indoors when he isn't with his team. I _don't_ know why you refuse the social interactions that are offered to you. And I'm honestly surprised that Sakura seems to have _forgotten_ about any friendships that I'm sure she formed in the academy. We're done for today. Make sure you go to Iruka's at five today and then meet me tomorrow morning I'll have come up with something to actually teach you by then."

Sasuke blinked at her in confusion but she simply waved him off before hurtling over the brick wall at the end of the field and disappearing from sight. "I talk enough," Sasuke muttered angrily as he turned around and headed back into town.

_XX Week 2: Day 4 XX_

"Come on Houkou, you were doing fine yesterday," Sakura whined as the small puppy was quickly distracted from its training as a butterfly landed on its nose. When the dog ignored her, she looked up at Kakashi pathetically before turning to glare at the pug dog beside him. "Your dog is laughing at me."

"That's because you're whining. The fact that you're getting bored and distracted means the dog will as well. These are intelligent animals. They pick up on our emotions. He'll follow your commands as long as you mean them and tell him that firmly," Kakashi explained. "It'll take time and he's still young. Take a break and play with him for a while and then we'll work with him some more."

_X_

That night when Anko and Sasuke joined the rest of the group, Anko handed a scroll to Sakura. "I just got called up for a mission. In case I'm not back for the start of the next rotation, read this," Anko told her.

"What are we supposed to do with Sasuke while you're gone?" Kakashi asked.

"I gave him some stuff to work on so he'll be able to keep busy. I should probably be back tomorrow night or the morning after," Anko assured him.

"What'll he be working on?" Kakashi asked.

"That's between the two of us."

_XX End of Week 2 XX_

"I want Houkou to show these two what he's capable of so I've come up with a little test to see how far we've gotten," Kakashi declared.

"Is this like testing our increased stamina by making us lug rocks about?" Sakura moaned.

"Not quite," Kakashi told her holding up a small, red bow. "This fell off of a cat that's gone missing in the area. I think Houkou can help the three of you find it," he said tossing it to Sakura.

"And if he can't?" Sasuke asked in aggravation.

"Then the three of you get to test your tracking skills by finding it yourselves. This is also a great opportunity to practice using those bracelets. The less you talk the better and you'll probably have to split up to catch the cat," he told them. "Check in with me every hour," he added dismissing them.

As Kakashi sat back lazily, pulling out his book once again, Sasuke turned to Sakura and said, "That dog better find the cat or Naruto and I will make it our target."

"You two are so mean to Houkou," she whined kneeling in front of her dog with the bow. Houkou delicately sniffed at the bow before coming to attention almost immediately. Sakura was sorely disappointed when he suddenly dashed over to Kakashi. "Try again," Kakashi told the small dog sending it scampering back to Sakura.

"Try again," she repeated kneeling down with the bow again.

Five tries later it appeared that Houkou had actually found the cat's scent and all three of the Genin were off after it. Kakashi snickered and glanced behind the rock he was lounging on and straight at the cat that was sunning itself lazily on the grass behind it. "Pup was actually right."

Sasuke flinched when the bracelet he was wearing suddenly heated up as chakra pulsed through it. Feeling the sensation when it was expected in Iruka's living room had been one thing and he was beginning to understand why Kakashi had told them to practice using them. He quickly sent chakra pulses back through the bracelet asking for the message to be repeated. Paying careful attention the second time it was sent Sasuke had little trouble interpreting it – understanding Naruto's meaning when he said they were going the wrong way was another matter altogether.

The three met up two minutes later and both Sasuke and Sakura were looking at Naruto for an explanation. 'I think he tricked Pup,' Naruto explained.

"Okay, that isn't hard to do, but why would he do it? And how?" Sakura asked.

'We spend time out here so he can be lazy. The bow's scent is wrong.'

"How do you know that?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto fidgeted and looked away glaring down at the dog that had led them into the woods. "If you can't explain it, then why should we accept your explanation?" Sasuke asked.

'Pervert was holding the bow so Pup went to him,' Naruto began.

"Yeah he went to the closest scent," Sakura explained.

'Pervert wears gloves, scent wouldn't be as strong. Not enough to confuse dog.'

"I don't know, he got confused really easily when we were training," Sakura countered.

"And if he isn't following the cat's trail then what the heck are we chasing?" Sasuke added angrily.

'Cat, but old trail,' Naruto explained.

"We're following the trail it took to get to where it is now, and you think this is going to lead us back to our training ground?" Sakura clarified gaining a nod from Naruto. "Should we follow the trail in case? Or should we sneak back and see if he's right?"

"Why don't we split up? If the dog needs the training anyways then let it try to follow the trail the rest of the way. We'll go see if the cat is really at the training grounds. If it is we'll signal for you to abandon pursuit and join us," Sasuke suggested. Sakura nodded and, without hesitation, Naruto turned and was off. Sasuke blinked at the sudden movement before taking off after him. "Well Houkou, it looks like we're stuck with your trail so let's see where it leads us," Sakura suggested motioning for the dog to continue.

_X_

'Blossom?'

Sakura growled at Naruto's attempt to placate her and spit out, "Just tell me where the cat is?"

"Behind the rock," Sasuke pointed out.

"Then let's go get it. I want to go home and clean up," the pink haired girl stated, pulling weeds out of her hair.

Both boys swallowed a bit nervously and backed off as they nodded. "I'll take the left, you and Houkou go head on and Naruto will come in on the right. At least if we don't catch it we should drive it at Kaka-sensei," Sasuke offered.

"I hope it scratches his good eye out."

'What happened?'

"I am not talking about it," Sakura growled moving forward suddenly. Naruto and Sasuke were left with no choice but to follow their plan and both took off hoping to corral the runaway feline.

"Oh good you three are back the first hour is up," Kakashi stated loudly moving onto the top of the rock that the cat had been resting behind. The sound of his voice startled the cat before the three Genin could reach it and took off across the training field. "Oops, better go after it."

All three glared at him before darting off after the cat. Sasuke's sharingan activated as Naruto dashed by him fluidly. Sakura actually trailed off and stopped following as Sasuke began moving to complement Naruto's movements and the two quickly closed in on the cat. As the cat broke through the tree line and into the woods Naruto used the trees as a springboard to lunge after it, finally catching the cat and rolling harmlessly into a tree trunk with the stunned pet. Sasuke landed next to him and watched in amusement as the cat put on a sudden burst of energy and attempted to claw its way free. One particularly feral glare caused the cat to still once more and it complied docilely as Sasuke reached down to take it from Naruto's hands.

Kakashi was alert and standing next to Sakura when the two walked back out and Sasuke shoved the cat into his hands with a glare. "That was actually quite impressive," Kakashi stated before turning around. "You're free until tonight so do as you please. I'll take Tora back to her owner."

_XX Week 3: Day 2 XX_

"Sorry I'm late," Anko shouted as she skidded up to the bridge while the trio was still waiting for Kakashi to show up. "That mission took way too long," she bemoaned jumping up to sit on the railing next to Naruto. "How was the rest of the week without me?"

"We caught a cat."

"You caught a cat?" Anko repeated turning to Sasuke, _At least offered an answer right away._

"We were supposed to be using Houkou's training but he hasn't quite gotten that far so it took us like an hour," Sakura explained.

"So what did you do yesterday?"

"I just read the scroll you gave me, Naruto-"

"Wait you made it all the way through?" Anko asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, I really liked the part about combining ninjutsu and genjutsu. My dad talked about it a bit but he never went into specifics like the scroll did," Sakura told her.

"Okay," Anko said slightly surprised before turning to Naruto. "Still angry at Kakashi?"

Naruto nodded and frowned. "But are you working with him?" Anko urged.

'Sensei said I have to,' Naruto frowned.

Anko snickered at the small pout and turned to Sasuke. "What are you doing with Iruka?"

"Jutsu theory and creation," Sasuke answered.

Anko applauded drawing baffled looks from Naruto and Sakura. "See that was a quick answer, it didn't take much thinking and it required no sacrifice on your part to give it," she told him. Sakura and Naruto remained silent for a moment before they both began snickering. "Don't laugh at him brats," Anko retorted as Sasuke glared at the two. "The more you two laugh the less likely he is to continue improving his people skills."

"Sasuke doesn't have people skills," Sakura snickered. "When he notices people he glares and the rest of the time he's just indifferent. The only people he doesn't glare at constantly are us."

"Yeah and I'm trying to improve that," Anko told her before turning on Naruto as he snickered, perched dangerously on the edge of the bridge. 'Bastard is a bastard,' Naruto signed to her shrugging.

"No, he acts like a bastard on occasion. No one will deny…okay a lot of people would fight you on that because Sasuke's an Uchiha. He can be a jackass and people like you and me, we recognize that. Even Kakashi can recognize that and his mental capacity is-"

Anko was cut off when an arm came out of nowhere and dislodged her from her seat on the bridge. "Oops, sorry Naruto. I only meant to push Anko in," Kakashi apologized a moment later when Anko's fall upset his precarious balance and sent him tumbling into the stream after her. "I really didn't want to deal with a wet fox today," he muttered gaining a glare from Naruto.

Anko was suddenly no longer beside the blond and he looked up and laughed as Kakashi jumped back when Anko slid up next to him. "Not funny Kakashi. Now Sakura gets to deal with me when I'm in a bad mood. Do you really want her to put up with that?" she hissed pulling out a kunai. Naruto snickered from below and scurried up the side of the bridge to appear beside her.

"You…Weren't you supposed to teach him Academy taijutsu?"

"No, that's boring. I taught him taijutsu so don't complain. And don't push me off bridges. I don't like water," Anko told him grabbing Sakura's arm and pulling her off towards her training area.

"We meet at six thirty this week," Kakashi called after before turning to grin at Naruto and Sasuke. "Are you going to meet Iruka?" Kakashi asked gaining a nod from Sasuke before the younger boy took off as well. "Well then, it's just us, so let's get going."

_XX Week 3: Day 4 XX_

"They've spent almost three weeks cramming jutsu theory into our brains Sasuke they want us to," Sakura argued.

"Yes they want us to create our own jutsu, eventually. That doesn't mean I have to go along with your plan. I am not helping create such a stupid jutsu."

"It isn't stupid, I mean if even the Hokage fell for something like that crazy jutsu Naruto used to use on Iruka think of how easily we could catch people of guard something like this," she declared. Sasuke frowned and turned to Naruto hoping that the blond felt there were better things to do with his time. When he saw Naruto nodding in agreement, he sighed and turned away.

"Do what you want, but I am not helping."

"Fine," Sakura huffed turning to Naruto and sitting down on the bridge. "If Kakashi is as late as usual for the rest of the week then we can probably have it finished in a few days," she told him gaining a nod.

"Aren't you two forgetting about Anko and Iruka?" Sasuke asked hoping that if the two…adults showed up they would put a stop to his teammates' absurdity.

"They won't care. And we don't have to tell them what we're doing."

'Orange would offer to help,' Naruto added grinning when both of his teammates were glaring at him. He had quickly learned that the best way to make sure they paid attention to him was to send out a sharp, and stronger than necessary, pulse of chakra right before he started signing. They had yet to learn that the easiest way to get him to stop would be to stop turning towards him.

When Kakashi arrived two hours later, he took one look at Sakura's scribbling and swallowed nervously. "Just don't ever use it on me," he stated before sending Sakura and Sasuke on their way.

_XX End of Week 3 XX_

"What is the deal with these stupid tasks?" Sakura shouted in frustration as her sensei finished explaining the day's activities to them. It was bad enough that their sensei expected them to accept his pathetic excuses when he arrived late for team meetings but the so-called 'tests' he had been giving them to check their improvement were ten times as boring.

"If you don't want to teach then give us a mission. These are a waste of time," Sasuke added with a complimentary huffy nod from Naruto.

"Fine," Kakashi stated. "Then the three of you can go to the mission room and request it."

"Fine with us," Sakura countered.

Kakashi shrugged and led them back towards the village. The Hokage had been wondering when the three would show up at the mission room anyways. And maybe they'd get another C rank mission out of the visit.

The Hokage was busy conversing with a slightly overweight grey haired man when they entered the room and Kakashi waved to him. The Hokage's eyes darted over them and he gave a small smile while still paying attention to his client. "Kakashi I thought you already-"

Iruka's question was cut off when Sakura moved to stand in front of him. "We're bored and we want a mission," she stated.

"Okay but Kakashi already-"

"Kakashi doesn't assign us any missions. We want one. Like the one to Sarutoshi," Sakura pouted.

The Hokage finished with his client and approached Sakura placing an arm on her shoulder and leading her away from Iruka before he could answer again.

"No missions?" Iruka repeated approaching Kakashi.

The Jounin could do nothing but laugh nervously as he checked to make sure that his students weren't paying any attention to him. Luckily, they had made a habit of ignoring him, so he could safely converse with Iruka. He shrugged in response.

"Where's the money?" Iruka growled showing that he was not amused with Kakashi's behavior.

"I'm using it as a down payment at a local forge for a present for them. I wouldn't have had to but you and Anko spent a lot of my money on them," Kakashi reasoned.

"What do you mean?"

"I figured they would never think to save up for something like this, at least not for the next couple of years so I'm doing it for them," Kakashi explained vaguely.

Iruka sighed and frowned turning to look at the three Genin of Team 7 who were sitting at the back of the room laughing as Naruto mimicked the Hokage as he tried to explain the mission room system to them. "At least tell me they will be getting their wages, all of them, back in some form," he finally said.

"Of course they will. I'm not that mean. I'm not," he insisted when Iruka continued to look unconvinced. "And people wonder why I'm messed up, no one ever believes me. Just this morning I had those three doubting me because I was half an hour late and they couldn't wrap their little heads around how I could have saved a falling star from dying in the yonder swamp…okay you're not buying that one either are you?" he asked frowning at Iruka.

Iruka's disbelieving look had faded and he was trying to hide his laughter as he began getting odd looks from the rest of the staff.

The Sandaime finally finished speaking with the three Genin, satisfied that they understood the mission rankings and the importance of doing menial tasks from time to time. However, he couldn't say no to their request to stick to upper class missions since he had the perfect one waiting for them. "How would your team like an escort mission to Wave Country?" he asked sitting back down at the mission desk and calling Kakashi over.

"Who for?"

"The bridge builder Tazuna. He's been put in charge of the project to build a bridge between Wave and Fire Country and needs an escort back to Wave Country and for the duration of the project," the Hokage explained.

"I'd like to request that another ninja accompany us. While in Sarutoshi, we heard rumors of problems in Wave country that were driving people out. If the situation there is affecting a place at such a distance… I'm not going to out right accuse the client of lying, but I'd rather not take my team into that without backup," Kakashi requested quietly.

"I see. I don't think Team Gai is has any ongoing missions-"

"That's really, really not necessary. Anko should be free; we'll take her," Kakashi interrupted quickly.

The Sandaime paused and looked up at Kakashi before gazing behind the Jounin at his students. "Well she isn't currently on a mission," he started. Kakashi glanced behind him at his students, his single eye almost begging them to step in.

Sakura poked her teammates in the side and whispered something to both of them that seemed to greatly insult Sasuke. "I'm not using that jutsu. You're both insane for coming up with it," he stated before quickly caving under the intense stares of his sensei and his teammates.

A moment later, there were three puffs of smoke and the Hokage was suddenly face to face with three chibified Genin. "Can Anko nee-chan please come with us Hokage-sama? Please?" the small pink haired girl begged as her eyes began to water up and she peered longingly over the table at the elderly man.

The Hokage stared at the three with a look of near horror on his face. He had never been so outwitted before…as long as one ignored the jutsu Naruto had used on him when he stole the scroll. He would never be able to live it down if he gave in to the three and he wasn't sure he was comfortable sending Anko with them in the first place. When a pair of watery blue eyes poked over the table next to the already teary green eyes the Hokage turned away hoping that Sasuke's orneriness would make it easier to say a definitive no. However, the small glare combined with the childish pout was even harder to take and the Hokage finally nodded. "Take Anko. But don't ever let those three use that on me ever again," he stated.

"Use what?" Anko asked stepping into the room with Ibiki. She froze when Kakashi's Genin, still in chibi form, turned to look at her. Kakashi had been expecting a squeal followed by quite a bit of hugging, which he was sure Naruto and Sakura would be more than eager to take part in considering the psychological regression that typically took place with the jutsu. He hadn't expected Anko to stare at Naruto in horror before finally turning the Hokage as she nervously avoided the younger Genin. "Where exactly am I going with them?"

"On a mission that Kakashi claims he wants back up on," the Hokage stated, watching her closely.

"Oh good!" Anko responded, her mood lightening a great deal. "That means I don't have to work with Ibiki!"

"Do you need her to remain here?" the Hokage asked almost eagerly.

"Not if Kakashi wants to put up with her. I can find someone else to assist me."

Anko's eagerness was jilted a moment later when she felt a tiny hand squeeze her own and she looked down towards the sniffling little girl at her feet. "You want to come with us? Right Anko nee-chan?" Sakura whimpered.

"You have got to show me how you do that," Anko finally said sweeping a squealing Sakura into the air. The pink haired girl remained in her smaller form for several more minutes playing with Anko while Naruto and Sasuke changed back to hear about their mission.

"What about the mission I assigned your team this morning?" Iruka asked as Naruto and Sasuke listened to the Hokage.

"Reassign it," Kakashi suggested.

"Everyone has already come through for their missions this morning and that one is fairly time sensitive," Iruka pointed out. Kakashi looked thoughtful for a moment when the door to the mission room opened and the solution to his problem walked in. Kakashi took out the mission scroll he had been given and tossed it at the new arrival as he proclaimed, "Good morning fellow ninja. I hope your morning has been most fruitful. I apologize that we were not our usual punctual selves and hope that there are still missions available for my most youthful students!"

Maito Gai's typical nice-guy pose was interrupted when the scroll Kakashi threw smacked in the head. Sakura remained in her small form and curled into Anko, hiding from Gai's view as she whispered, "Don't let the green giant near me."

Naruto and Sasuke blinked slowly at the new arrival before turning back to the Hokage with disinterest. Gai was a bit more interested in why it appeared that the usually youthful Umino Iruka had thrown a scroll at him before he suddenly realized, "Ah! Iruka-san, I should have known that after all your time at the academy you would deal with tardiness swiftly. I assure you that it shall never happen again and we accept your punishment of a D Class mission. We shall finish it with such vigor as to prove that even seasoned shinobi are not above such tasks."

Iruka gaped for a moment as he turned to find that Kakashi had disappeared. "B-but I…I."

"No need to say anything more, Iruka-san. Although you look as though you are not sleeping well. This will deprive you of your youthful vigor so make sure to take care of your health," Gai saluted before leading his team back out of the room.

Naruto snickered when Iruka's lips actually twisted into a slight snarl. "Oi, Kakashi, what happened to dealing with him with your_cool_ demeanor?" Anko asked before Iruka could explode at someone.

Kakashi lazily waved her off from under the mission desk as he called out, "I got stuck with students four months ago. Any coolness I had disappeared."

* * *

AS: I don't think I have ever written that many disjointed scenes before. Sorry if all the abrupt switches bothered you, none of the future chapters should be like this one.

If there is any confusion with the bracelets they're currently wearing, feel free to ask; they won't be explained in full for several chapters so I know it might seem odd. I decided not to spell out any of the messages because it isn't technically sign language and I didn't really want to add to the legend and confuse people.

If anyone is curious, the dog Sakura was given is a Japanese Wolfdog (Shikoku or Kochi-ken). The odd coloring will be explained later, although it isn't that odd to guess.

Kakashi's explanation of the Sharingan's activation is based only on seeing Sasuke and Obito develop it under these situations. Kishimoto hasn't really given any other information on how it originally activated in any of the other Uchihas.

I once again messed with nicknames so I hope you caught onto them.

The current lineup goes something like this:

Naruto – Fox (Kakashi and Sasuke will use this name, the others don't yet)

Sasuke – Bastard, Hunter (Kakashi gave him the second nickname and for now will be the only one to use it)

Sakura – Pinky, Blossom

Kakashi – Pervert

Iruka – Sensei

Sandaime – Old Man

Anko – Orange

Houkou (Sakura's) - Pup

I realized I forgot to include a translation for Sakura' jutsu last chapter. I think I gave it once before but in case I didn't here it is:

Ikko Akechi – _First Beat of the War Drum, Bloody Earth_

What it does will be explained later.

Thanks to all of my reviewers I really appreciate your encouragement and comments.

_Showme the stars, Azamiko, SlashnYaoi, theo darkstar, Kage Husha, DarkRavie, Kuno-Baby, cutsycat, Lord-Scruffy, Robby Cartwright, SongoftheDarquePhoenix, WannabeFireFox, Bobboky, AznPuffyHair, hyourin tenshi, Katiebird27, Kurama, Random Reader, Marz1, Amith, Oboburos69, Unknown to you, Dezy-X29, Turtle Kid, insanechildfanfic_

Just a general note. I don't give hints about pairings anymore. I've regretted it every time I've mentioned them for _Picture Day_ or _After the Dream_ so I'm not getting into that in Juniper. The story isn't romance so pairings aren't the most important plot point.

Another general note, reviewer Dezy-X29 brought this up this time but I'm fairly certain others have mentioned it before, and not just on this fic. I know some people are bit…bothered/annoyed/insert feeling here about the way I tend to describe Kakashi as smiling or some other facial expression. In the manga, especially the early chapters, Kakashi is actually very animated. Typically when I use a description like 'smiling' it refers to a lot more than his mouth – which you can't see anyways – it's just that if I wanted to describe his entire demeanor it would take several more sentences instead of one word. You guys kinda need to work with me a bit and incorporate what you know about his behavior and then interpret my description – if that makes any sense.

**Possible Spoiler if you haven't read Shippuuden**

I had one comment about this so I just want touch upon it (and thank Kurama for bringing it up, especially since I'm pretty sure I didn't respond to you). Kurama mentioned that Nii Gorou sounded a lot like the Yonbi's host that was mentioned briefly in the manga. I agree and I'm really sorry for any confusion. I was catching upon the manga when I wrote Gorou and I think the way he was presented last chapter, with very little background, ended up making him sound like the 'Elder Jinchuriki'. That wasn't intentional and I think it will become clear as his character is given more light but I'm sorry if there was any confusion between the two.

Last but not least for those still reading. I haven't named Sakura and Naruto's new jutsu yet. Any suggestions for the name are welcome and if I choose one, well right now all I guarantee is credit but maybe I'll eventually be able to offer a one-shot or something like that.


	12. Living II

**Agent's Spiel**: It's funny. I usually consider flames to be pointless bashing and they don't bother me at all. I actually get more annoyed by constant reviews that tell me to update soon (but I get over it just as quickly when I remember that it means you guys just want to read more). But…I got a review that, even though I would never consider it a flame, actually made me question whether or not this was even worth it. I realize that I'm changing Naruto's characterization and even appearance to some extent but I have never been as insulted as I was when the reviewer suggested that I was self-appointing myself as fashion police or deciding what was 'appropriate' (I still don't get that comment). What is written in this fic is not necessarily my opinion. The characters' voices are not my own and I'm sorry to any readers who cannot understand that and who so disagree with me that they can no longer continue to read this story.

I realize that my change may have seemed a bit drastic, but considering how far some writers go with AU's and making characters completely goth or emo, I thought I did a pretty good job of trying to stick with something that would seem possible within the manga as well as explaining why the change was being made.

And while I'm on reviews I'm going to pick on you guys a bit. I love hearing from but it would be great if you could check some of the author's notes before emailing me. It gets a bit frustrating to repeatedly ignore pleas about the pairings and repeat the meaning of the title. I do love hearing from you, but I've been kinda short tempered lately and I don't want to take it on you guys and I'm afraid I will.

**Lastly, I have a question at the very bottom of the page if you are already planning on leaving a review or contacting me I would really appreciate your input (I even put this note in bold!). **

**Thanks!**

There is action in this again…but I feel like I put in way too much talking in some scenes.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts, congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course, it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Living**

_**XX Day 1 of Mission XX**_

Tazuna stared at the five ninja in front of him with a disparaging look on his face. "Well let's go. I'm a super important man so I need to get back. My poor grandson, he can't stand having me away for so long," Tazuna sighed, sending an annoyed look at the hyper puppy sitting at the girl's feet.

"Well how fast we get there is up to you. We could make it there in under three days…with an old man like you," Anko sighed and shook her head, "It'll probably be more like a week," she finished, nodding sadly.

Sakura turned away and snickered as Naruto and Sasuke both suppressed their grins at Anko's behavior. "Now, now, let's not insult the client," Kakashi said reproachfully, stepping out and motioning for Tazuna to walk along with him.

Anko snickered and fell into step next to Naruto as Sakura and Sasuke fell in behind them. "So have Kakashi and Iruka taught the three of you anything useful about the other countries?" Anko asked the three as Kakashi continued to focus on their client.

"Define useful," Sasuke quipped.

Anko snickered again and the way she covered her pursed lips was so Naruto-ish that Sakura burst out laughing.

"What?"

Anko and Sasuke's synchronized question did Naruto in and he had to cling onto Anko's jacket or he would have been left behind as he laughed silently. Kakashi turned on the three as Sakura continued to laugh loudly and sent them a stern glance quickly silencing all four of them.

His tactic worked for a grand total five minutes but Anko quickly began getting bored. She noticed that the three Genin were struggling once again to keep quiet. She studied them for several minutes before she realized what they were doing. "That's really not fair. I don't have one of the bracelets so I can't keep up with your conversations. For all I know you could be saying bad things about me," Anko whined gently pinching Naruto's ear in retaliation.

The blond grinned at her but noticed Tazuna watching them cynically. Instead of signing back to Anko, Naruto turned to Sakura and leaned in as if whispering, all the while sending pulses of chakra through the bracelets to both of his teammates. Sakura snickered when he was finished and beamed up at Anko, "There isn't anything bad to say about you!"

Anko actually paused at Sakura's comment before turning to Naruto and winking. "Suck up," Sasuke muttered.

"No, no. It's called flattery," Anko explained. "He just happens to be far more charming than you."

Kakashi let out a surprised snort of laughter and Tazuna turned his attention back to his escort. Sakura looked between Naruto and Sasuke before turning back to Sasuke. "You know she's actually right. Maybe it's cause he's quieter now, but you can actually be more annoying than him," Sakura told Sasuke with a completely straight face. Sasuke stumbled slightly at her critique and growled when Naruto snickered at him.

"Leave your teammate alone," Kakashi called back sternly, cursing himself at how parental he sounded.

He cursed aloud when Sakura muttered, "You sound like my dad."

_**XX Day 3 of Mission XX**_

Two days later and Kakashi knew Anko had been right when she said it would take a week to get to their destination. His students were fast enough that had they been on their own they would have reached Wave the next day at the latest. Now, his students were relegated to amusing themselves as they alternated between getting bored on the road and climbing around like monkeys as they circled the group's route in the trees along the road. At least when they were in the woods they were actually checking the perimeter around the travelers.

_I think Gorou…no that was the Gobi, he was right when he said we spent too much time off the ground,_ Kakashi thought as Tazuna grumbled when Naruto arched over the road to land in a tree on the other side for the third time in ten minutes. Houkou dashed across the path and Sakura followed over their heads a moment later and Kakashi waited patiently for Sasuke to show up. When the black haired boy didn't, Kakashi turned around suspiciously and sure enough found Sasuke pacing behind Anko with a scowl on his face.

Kakashi raised a hand to Anko and beckoned her forward. When she appeared next to Tazuna, nearly giving the older man a heart attack, Kakashi nodded once before falling back to pester Sasuke. He snickered at Anko's utterance, "I hate water," as they passed a stray puddle.

Sasuke seemed to know exactly what Kakashi was up to because the moment the older man reached his side, Sasuke moved to take off into the trees. Kakashi snickered and reached forward, making sure to snag the back of his shirt and not his coat or travel bag – both of which could have been shrugged off allowing him to still get away. "Now, now Hunter-kun let's not throw a fit," Kakashi greeted cheerfully, keeping his voice down so that Tazuna wouldn't hear. "I hope you aren't still upset about Sakura's comment yesterday?"

"I don't care what others think," Sasuke supplied quickly.

"Sure you do. You just don't realize it because no one, except Naruto and Anko up to this point – okay and maybe me or Iruka on occasion – has ever actually criticized you. Quite a shock, wasn't it?" Kakashi asked.

"What would you know?" Sasuke bit out.

"Well for starters I know that we're going to have to finish this conversation later," Kakashi stated shoving his student away from him. Sasuke recovered quickly and propelled himself onto a nearby tree branch as Kakashi was caught in the middle of a long bladed chain stretched between the pair of gauntlets that their attackers wore. The sharingan flickered to life and just barely caught the sudden movement of Kakashi's chakra signaling the use of kawarimi before his afterimage was torn apart by the attackers.

Sasuke felt Naruto land next to him in shock and he quickly began messaging his teammates that Kakashi was alive. He had no idea where Anko had disappeared to. Naruto darted off the branch and towards the now defenseless Tazuna just as Anko reappeared behind one of the attackers. "Senei jashu," she stated reaching an arm out towards the attacker that was closing in on Tazuna. Three snakes shot out of the sleeve of her coat wrapping around the man's body and trapping his arms against his side as his movement was halted.

Her hands were already beginning to move through the seals again when Naruto and Sasuke shot past her and at the other attacker. They each grabbed hold of one of his arms, pulling him sharply to a halt. Kakashi appeared a moment later in a puff of smoke on top of the man's shoulder and looked at them proudly as Sakura and Houkou moved in next to Tazuna.

Kakashi nonchalantly booted the man in the head as he lightly jumped off his perch. Naruto and Sasuke let go and the man keeled over painfully. Sighing, Kakashi reached down and picked up the unconscious man before moving with Anko to restrain the man that her snakes were still holding onto. Once both men were tied up on the ground, Anko set about dismantling their gauntlets. Naruto peered curiously over her shoulder and tapped it once when she moved towards the claws. 'Poison,' he signed pointing to them and motioning for her to more careful.

"Can you smell it?" Anko asked curiously, as she turned back to the gauntlets.

Naruto paused for a moment and motioned Sasuke over allowing Sasuke to pass on the message for him so that Anko could continue her work without watching his signs. "He says it isn't just smell but he doesn't know how to describe it," Sasuke told her.

"Makes sense. Probably the fox. Kakashi mentioned that Naruto caught on when he drugged the three of you before sending you to the training island," Anko muttered finally disconnecting the chain that was connecting the pair. "Kakashi both of them have forehead protectors and they're unmarred," she confirmed pushing back the men's hair to get a better look. "Kirigakure no Sato," she added for him.

"We need to have a chat," Kakashi stated turning to Tazuna and leading the man away from the scene.

"Seems like you took my advice," Anko added, turning around to smirk at Sasuke when she was sure the men would remain secure.

"What advice?" Sakura asked curiously, joining them.

"Well, for starters I'm gonna guess he's wearing contacts," Anko snickered as Sasuke looked away defensively.

"Why?" Sakura asked curiously.

"It hides the sharingan," Sasuke answered. "It means I can use it and not reveal the fact that I'm an Uchiha."

"Doesn't that diminish its properties? I thought Kakashi said that a lot of its abilities were based on hypnotism. I would think that would reduce the ability if his opponent can't see it," Sakura commented.

"It does," Sasuke answered. "But according to her, opponents aren't likely to look a Genin in the eye anyways."

"It's true. There's an ANBU technique which requires direct eye contact. A couple years back they did a test by teaching it to ninja of different levels and then told them to use it on missions. Almost no one managed to use it on an opponent of a higher level because they rarely made prolonged eye contact with a ninja they saw as inferior. They did a couple more studies in Konoha and realized that even our ninja do it," Anko explained.

"So he'd have to fight someone of the same level as him to be able to use the hypnotic effect in the first place. Which is why he just wears contacts. He can still use the sharingan but people will just assume his skill level is higher, which will unnerve them even if he can't hypnotize them," Sakura concluded. Naruto blinked over at her in awe before looking to Anko and Sasuke for confirmation.

"Damn, Kakashi was right about you," Anko muttered.

"Huh? Is that bad?" Sakura asked.

"No, he just said you were really quick on the uptake," Anko explained.

'What else?' Naruto asked.

Anko snickered when both of his teammates looked at him in surprise. "He also listened when I told him other ways I used to see Uchiha use the sharingan," Anko explained. "Kakashi's not really the best teacher, but he is the only one available unless Sasuke wants to learn it completely on his own. Kakashi prefers solo work so his sharingan is completely focused on attacking his opponents and predicting their moves. But there used to be a couple of Uchiha – not many because of their pride – but a few who made awesome partners because of their sharingan. It can predict a teammate's movements as well, so the sharingan can be used to perform a coordinated attack without having to plan it."

"The Uchiha just has to move to complement their teammate while letting the teammate do whatever they have planned," Sakura clarified. "That's what you did when you two caught that cat," she realized.

"You used it before today? I'm impressed," Anko told him. Sasuke grumbled and turned away with a light blush dusting his cheeks.

Sasuke was saved from any further mortification when Kakashi and Tazuna walked back over to them. Judging by the triumphant look on Tazuna's face and the put out drooping in Kakashi's eye, the older man had somehow convinced Kakashi to let his team continue the mission.

"If we don't continue with him he'll get killed and his daughter will hate us and his grandson will cry," Kakashi shrugged, kneeling next to them and poking the two tied up ninja curiously. When neither one responded Kakashi turned to Anko curiously.

"The venom will wear off in an hour so," she told him grinning.

"Might as well stay here for the night then," Kakashi shrugged, looking up at the sun as it made its way down on the horizon. "We'll probably face more trouble, but not until someone realizes they aren't coming back."

_**XX Day 6 of Mission XX**_

"Please remain quiet," the boatman said quietly as they passed by the towering supports of the planned bridge. "We'll take the back channels to avoid detection."

Houkou whined quietly from where he was smashed underneath Naruto and Sasuke's bags. Sakura had yelled at them but when Anko dumped her bag on the pile Kakashi had sighed and just told her to sit down because they weren't actually hurting the dog. She frowned at the little puppy as it whimpered up at her. She tried to shift the bags off it a bit and Naruto snickered when the dog's squirming caused him to be trapped even more.

Sakura's glare quickly silenced her teammates for the rest of the boat trip and both boys were more than happy when they could get out at the ramshackle dock they were taken to. "Come here," Sakura whispered scooping Houkou into her arms and stepping out of the boat. Houkou yipped happily and lapped at her face in thanks before Kakashi placed a hand on her shoulder and pointed to the ground. Sakura complied and set the puppy back on its feet motioning for him to follow her as they set off down the path that Tazuna had pointed out.

Anko quickly passed by Kakashi and Sakura to catch up with Naruto and Sasuke…although she vaguely wondered if the real purpose was to get farther away from the water as Anko had appeared a bit queasy on the boat. Anko chatted pleasantly with the two boys as they led the way, leaving rearguard duty up to Kakashi, Sakura and Houkou.

The small dog was immensely enjoying himself as he scampered about enjoying the new scents and flora that decorated the island. Catching a familiar scent, Houkou dashed into a bush and reappeared a moment later with a terrified white rabbit in his jaws. Naruto and Sasuke snickered as the puppy proudly paraded over to Sakura and dropped the rabbit at her feet. Before it could dash away, Sakura leaned down and picked it up curiously.

"A snow rabbit?" Kakashi muttered looking down at it. "Just put it down and keep walking," he told her moving forward. "I think you've picked up enough pets while on missions," he joked trying to lighten the mood; Anko had gotten very fidgety.

Sakura laughed off his behavior and let the rabbit go, motioning for Houkou to continue to follow her and not the rabbit. They had made it almost a hundred meters and Tazuna was in the middle of talking about how his daughter and her friends had liked to swim in the lake they were approaching when a branch snapped off to the right and Kakashi quickly moved to push Sakura to the ground. He glanced up when he heard a loud thunk and saw that the sword which had passed over their heads was now imbedded in a tree trunk. Anko had covered their client and both Naruto and Sasuke were just in front of the two, already scrambling back to their feet.

Kakashi stood up, watching the man who was standing on the sword's handle. "Go to your teammates," he whispered to Sakura moving forward and signaling for Anko to remain with Tazuna as well. "Momochi Zabuza? Wouldn't have thought you'd take on a target as easy as some old man. Then again, after leaving Mist, assassinations probably aren't as easy to come by," Kakashi reasoned watching the man in front of him for reactions.

"To think he'd manage hire someone like you," Zabuza laughed harshly, turning around to look at the group. "Copy Nin Kakashi."

Kakashi was about to respond when he noticed his Genin attempting to suppress their laughter. Anko turned on them and shook her heads. "Not right now brats, Zabuza has quite the record," she muttered.

"But…but the way he talks…is sensei really that impressive?" Sakura snickered.

_Great, now I'm a joke for Genin, _Kakashi frowned keeping his focus on Zabuza.

"I'm sure Kakashi will explain how impressive he is later," Anko assured them, trying to hide her own snickers. _Poor Kakashi, even in a situation like this they have the time to make fun of him._

"Why don't we skip the pleasantries? I'm only here for the old man…but I assume I'll have to go through you Leafs first," Zabuza stated pushing off the tree and disappearing with his sword. "Kirigakure no Jutsu," he stated reappearing temporarily on the lake in front of them. He was quickly hidden from sight as fog began lifting off the lake to surround the group.

Massive killer intent began surrounding them and the three Genin slid closer to Tazuna. "Calm down," Anko assured them. "He's a master of silent killing but these are all still ploys to unnerve you."

"I see the woman isn't half bad either," Zabazu snorted, chuckling menancingly as the Genin continued to fidget.

Houkou growled suddenly and Zabuza appeared between the three Genin and Tazuna. Kakashi reacted immediately, moving to intercept the massive sword that Zabuza wielded but Tazuna and Zabuza's other targets had already been moved out of the way. "Stay out of the way boys," Kakashi added when he noticed Naruto and Sasuke staying near him. "Just stick with Tazuna. His protection is your mission," he reminded them.

He was relieved when both boys exchanged a glance and backed away as he had asked. He was a bit out of practice and the last thing he needed to worry about was hitting one of them on accident.

_**X**_

"Anko," Sasuke muttered, approaching Anko, Tazuna and Sakura quietly as they watched the fog cautiously from several meters away from the road.

"Stay quiet. The mist gives less coverage here so he won't be able to sneak up on us as easily but don't expect Kakashi to hold all of his attention at the moment," Anko reasoned.

'Fine. Take Client and Pinky and go,' Sasuke signed.

Anko's eyes widened and she shook her head. Naruto moved up next to Sasuke and performed Kage Bunshin bringing out six clones. The four clones performed a quick henge and replications of Anko, Sakura and Houkou, Tazuna, and Naruto and Sasuke were suddenly standing in front of them. 'We'll stay here but you can keep going and get him home. We'll make sure you aren't followed,' Naruto signed.

Anko glanced at Tazuna for a moment and finally nodded. "Can you see Zabuza?" she asked quietly.

Sasuke glanced back and shrugged. 'Too many. Clones I think,' he told her. 'But real one isn't by us,' he assured her.

"Alright. We'll cut through here and take the long way around. Catch up when Kakashi's done," she told them. "Guard Tazuna," she added pointing to the clone before grabbing the real Tazuna and taking off with Sakura and Houkou and the Naruto and Sasuke clones on her heals.

Sasuke and Naruto immediately moved into formation along with the clones of Anko and Sakura. They could still hear the sounds of their sensei fighting. The occasional clash of weapons. A lot of water being moved about. But it never approached the group's position inside the tree line. Even so, Sasuke was straining his eyes hoping to catch a glimpse of his sensei or his opponent and Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.

After several minutes of the feeling, Naruto finally turned to Sasuke and tapped him on the shoulder. He had considered using the bracelets but that would have alerted Sakura, and the last thing he wanted was for her to turn back towards them. 'Observer,' he signed nodding to the trees around them and shrugging.

Sasuke nodded and turned from the fog to examine the forest. The minute he was no longer focusing on the fight he could feel the same uneasy sense that had alerted Naruto to another presence. "They're good at hiding," he muttered, shaking his head.

Naruto nodded and performed Kage Bunshin again. This time ten clones appeared in front of him. Their orders already in their heads, they quickly dispersed, most spreading out to look for the observer and two heading back towards where their sensei was fighting. If something happened that they couldn't see one clone would destroy the other, letting Naruto know that they needed to act.

Naruto's eyes suddenly widened and he looked behind him in the direction of the lake as he felt one of his clones dispersing. It must have been attacked from behind as he the clone hadn't even seen what hit it. Two more clones were created and before they set out in that same direction he had them perform a quick henge so that they appeared as nothing more than small fox kits.

Sasuke watched in interest for a moment before turning back to looking around. He barely managed to not jump in surprise when he felt the bracelet heat up. Naruto frowned apologetically and Sasuke nodded when he caught the rest of the message. _Of course the idiot would be the one to think of warning Sakura_, he snorted to himself.

Before they reached the right spot, the clones keeping an eye on Kakashi dispersed. It took him a minute to sort through the memories that he received before he turned to Sasuke and signed, 'Pervert won.'

Sasuke nodded and turned back towards the lake as the mist began to disperse. Zabuza was lying on the ground, and although Sasuke couldn't see any injuries from the distance and angle he still looked like he wasn't going to be able to stand back up. There was another figure standing in a tree above Kakashi and Zabuza. The mask on the figure's face made it difficult to tell age or gender but Naruto figured that unless it was just a small woman then it was probably a boy a few years older than they were.

Kakashi was leaning over Zabuza and it looked as if he was checking the other man's pulse. The silver haired man nodded, as if satisfied with his findings, and then stood up, lifting his face to look at the masked figure. Neither boy could hear what was said but Sasuke stepped out onto the road and made his presence known. The masked ninja landed next to Kakashi and picked up Zabuza's body before taking off and leaving Kakashi to stare after them in confusion. He quickly shook his head and turned back to his students.

Naruto dismissed the false images of his teammates and client as Kakashi neared them. "They went ahead," Sasuke explained.

"They what?"

"They went ahead. With two clones disguised as us. We stayed to keep an eye on things here and wait for you."

"Well, then I guess it's up to you two," Kakashi muttered before suddenly collapsing onto the ground.

_**XX Day 7 of Mission: Day 1 in Wave Country XX**_

"I hope he wakes up soon," Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, said glancing at Kakashi's prone form in concern. Naruto and Sasuke had shown up less than twenty minutes after her father and his other guards. They had been dragging their sensei's prone form rather unceremoniously between them. As Anko set about carrying Kakashi into the house, Sakura had laid into her two teammates for their disrespectful handling of their sensei. When Anko had appeared outside again, she had joined Naruto and Sasuke's defense that Kakashi had brought it upon himself.

"I wouldn't worry too much about him. He's a ninja, he just pushed himself a bit too hard," Anko assured her, just as she had the day before.

"Is your father going to the bridge today?" Sakura asked, yawning and walking into her sensei's room.

"No. Construction resumes tomorrow," Tsunami explained.

"How long ago did it start?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Two years ago. This is a poor country and the bridge is being paid for by the people so it was set up to be built in stages as money became available. The support towers have been in place for two years. Last year, Gatou came and they couldn't raise very much money so to raise interest and hope they decided to build the two ends, one here in Wave and the other in Fire Country. It worked, and this year they're finally finishing it by building the deck of the bridge," Tsunami explained. A tired young boy appeared at the door, rubbing his eyes sleepily as she finished her explanation. "Let's get your breakfast; you have school," Tsunami stated, walking out of the room and pulling her son with her.

Naruto waited for her to leave before crawling over towards Kakashi and poking at the man curiously. "Cut that out," Sasuke snipped.

Naruto turned around and stuck his tongue at the boy noticing the snickers and encouragement that Sakura and Anko were sending his way. He reached forward again, this time moving to inch the mask off his sensei's face. Sasuke stifled his complaints, proving that he was just as curious as the others, and glanced at the door to make sure that their hostess wasn't on her way back in.

Kakashi mumbled slightly in his sleep and Naruto froze as his sensei began to open his eyes. Panicking, Naruto performed the first seals that came to his mind. Kakashi became fully awake when it was suddenly a shapely, nude blond female leaning over him instead of his student. Anko burst out laughing but Sasuke and Sakura stared at their teammate in horror as he quickly released the jutsu and moved to hide behind them just as the door of the room opened again.

"Oh! Kakashi-sensei? You're awake! That's wonderful," Tsunami smiled as she walked in. "Are you alright?" she asked noticing the dazed look on his face.

"Fine," Kakashi choked out. "No wonder Hokage-sama fell for it," he muttered when Tsunami walked out again.

"So what happened with Zabuza?" Anko finally asked, giving Kakashi a minute to compose himself.

"We fought. A hunter nin showed up, killed Zabuza and then took off with his body."

"Wait, took off with his body?" Anko repeated.

'Knocked out all my clones too. Even one in disguise,' Naruto added, moving back out in the open so that the others could see him.

"He recognized one in disguise?"

'Don't know. Might have just been suspicious since I had a lot out,' Naruto shrugged.

"Still, he shouldn't have moved the body. Normally when hunter nins run into other ninja they just tell them to scram. Unless there's a fight over the body," Anko pointed out.

"I didn't fight the ninja over it. Though I was surprised that he showed up when he did."

"It's too convenient. And Zabuza was hit by senbon," Sasuke said.

"Way too convenient," Anko agreed.

"So are you saying that Zabuza is still alive?" Sakura asked, voicing the same question Naruto had been about to ask.

"Most likely," Kakashi nodded. "Even so, the injury wasn't faked. Zabuza will be out of commission for a while. We'll use that time to our advantage."

_**XX Day 8 of Mission: Day 2 in Wave XX**_

Kakashi lounged lazily at the base of a tree as his students finished their usual morning routine. Anko had gone off with Tazuna to keep an eye on the old man for the day. He pulled over the small box that he snuck into the basket of food Tsunami had sent with them. Flipping the lid open, he looked at the five wooden training tanto. He would have to wait until he was back on his feet to really get into training but at least he could get them used to handling the weapons. And Anko would have to wait until he could start sending his students on shifts to the bridge.

"Tanto bo?" Sakura asked curiously moving to stand in front of him as Naruto and Sasuke began their morning spar.

"Ah."

"Are we going to learn how to use them or were you just bored?" She asked.

"You'll learn," he told her.

"Do we have to wait for them?" Sakura pouted, pointing to her struggling teammates.

"I think they're going to need heavier supervision of their sparring matches," Kakashi muttered.

"They're normally better than this," Sakura assured him.

"Sure they are," Kakashi muttered, pushing himself to his feet and leaning back against the tree he had been sitting under. "That's enough you two!"

Naruto and Sasuke looked over and grumbled as they separated themselves and moved over to stand in front of their sensei. Kakashi handed each of the Genin one of the tanto bo and let the three study them on their own for a minute. "There are few ways to correctly hold it, but in the end your use of it will depend on what is most comfortable for you. Traditionally it was held in the reverse grip because it was easiest to stab up into armor and still be used defensively; however, armor is pretty different now so you'll have to study your opponent and decide how to best utilize it."

Kakashi spent the next half hour or so explaining and demonstrating the most common grips and correcting the three. When he was satisfied that they understood the grips he stepped back. "While there are stances to go with tantojutsu, the three of you would be better off experimenting and figuring out how best to use it with your own taijutsu. The weapon should supplement your own abilities, similar to the way you use kunai and shuriken but you aren't likely to throw these," he explained. "Go off and have fun for a bit. In an hour or so head back here and we'll talk."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and walked out of the clearing with his teammates quickly trailing after them. 'He's missing the chance to beat us up?' Naruto signed when they had stopped in a clearing about fifty meters away.

"He must still be out of it," Sakura reasoned. "How are these normally sheathed? At the front or back?"

"Depends on your preference," Sasuke shrugged. "If we ever get real ones they'll have sheaths and holsters but for now I don't think he wants us to bother with that. He said to incorporate them into our taijutsu, not plan attacks with them."

"Good point. At least we're all passable at taijutsu now," Sakura reasoned. Naruto's snickering caught her attention and she turned to glare at him. "Yes Naruto, I sucked at taijutsu."

'You're better now Blossom,' Naruto assured her grinning kindly.

"At least I can hit a target," Sakura quipped back, tossing a kunai at a random tree as a dare. Naruto took her up on it and launched his own kunai, aiming to hit just below hers at the same time as Sasuke. Sasuke's hit directly above Sakura, Naruto was below and an inch to the left. "Told you."

'Better than before,' he shrugged.

"How can you hit fish if you can't hit a stationary target?"

'How is Sakura good at blades?' Naruto answered evasively.

"I made a deal with a girl in the year above us. She helped me with my weapons training and I helped her with the book learning since I was technically already beyond our class," Sakura admitted. "What's your excuse?"

Naruto frowned. He hadn't been expecting Sakura to actually rise to the bait and answer. 'Don't know,' he finally answered.

"You like saying that, don't you."

Naruto scowled at Sakura's comment but brushed it off as he flipped the tanto bo into a reverse grip and began one of the kata that Anko had taught him.

"We could always help you. But it really doesn't make sense," Sakura offered.

Sakura yelped at the unexpected heat on her wrist and Naruto paused in his movement to giggle at her. "Okay I get it. End of topic," Sakura muttered moving off on her own.

_**X**_

"You're actually teaching me to use a tanto?" Anko asked in surprise when Kakashi led her outside after dinner. Kakashi shrugged and handed one of the tanto bo to her. The Genin were inside sleeping off a hard day's work. "Kakashi…I was twelve when I asked you to teach me."

"I figured since I was going to teach those three I might as well add you to the list," Kakashi reasoned. "But in return for teaching you and getting you out of the village for the first time in a year I want an answer from you."

"Answer?" Anko asked a bit nervously.

"Are you working with us for the reason I think you are? You have until we return to the village to come up with an answer. Now, let's go over grips."

_**XX Day 10 of Mission: Day 4 in Wave XX**_

"Finished early today?" Kakashi asked sitting on the steps of Tazuna's house as Anko walked up with the old man.

"I had three more men quit today. We didn't have the manpower to do anything until I can hire more tomorrow," Tazuna explained watching in slight awe as the three Genin dashed around the water below. At first, he thought that the tide was just low so they were running on the sand, but the lack of splashing told him otherwise.

Kakashi snickered when Anko jumped off the dock to join them. "Eh?" Sakura shouted when Anko appeared next to her. "I thought you hated the water?"

"I'm fine as long as I can't get wet," Anko smirked, pulling the girl out of the way and kicking up a wave of water as Sasuke darted towards them.

"Three against one!" Sakura grinned turning on the older woman.

"Oh really? Naruto, you gonna go along with this?" Anko called out. Naruto appeared at her side a moment later and grinned back at his teammates. "I think this means it's two against two."

"Make yourselves useful and practice with these," Kakashi called out tossing four tanto bo towards them. Sakura caught all four and quickly passed them along before they began their spar.

Kakashi sat back down besides Houkou and Tazuna. When Tsunami came out to get them for dinner, Sakura and Sasuke both looked like drowned rats and Naruto was resting against Anko's side as she laughed at the other two.

Dinner was a fast affair. The ninja had found that Tazuna's grandson hated them regardless of the fact that they had traveled all the way there to help his grandfather and so they had spent very little time in the house around the boy. Although Sakura had attempted to be friendly with him, even spending time asking about his schooling whether or not he wanted to know anything about ninja. Naruto and Sasuke on the other hand ignored the kid.

That night Inari was more surly than usual. He glared at Naruto and Sasuke as the two silently fought for more food. "Behave," Kakashi muttered, kicking them under the table. "You'll get sick if you two keep this up."

"It doesn't matter. You'll all die anyway," Inari stated, his glare sliding off so that his face was left blank.

All three Genin stopped what they were doing and gaped at him until Anko snorted, "What makes you say that?"

"Everyone who goes against Gatou dies," Inari answered glaring again.

"You don't know much about ninja do you," Anko smirked. "Maybe around here that's true, but ninja aren't everyone. We do what no one else can. Maybe most of the people you've been watching just haven't had courage."

"We don't have courage here," Tsunami whispered back quietly. "All our hope lies in that bridge, not people."

"That's a bad attitude to face a crisis with. People make far better heroes," Anko retorted.

Tazuna studied her for a moment before glancing down at the Genin. All three were nodding in agreement with Anko and even Kakashi looked to be supporting her stance. "You see that," Tazuna interrupted pointing up to a torn picture on the wall.

"I noticed Inari looking at it earlier," Sakura told him, looking at the younger boy curiously.

"The man missing from that picture was the last person we put our hope in. The last person this city called a hero," Tazuna explained. He winced when Inari pushed out of his chair letting it bang on the floor behind him as he walked angrily out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Tsunami sent an angry look at her father before taking off after her son. "He was Tsunami's husband. Not Inari's father by blood, but he certainly acted as if he was his father," Tazuna told them.

"Inari met him three years ago. Kaiza saved Inari from nearly drowning. He inspired him and the rest of this city; the bridge was his idea. But when Gatou came…he saw Kaiza as a threat, someone who could move this city. He put Kaiza to death. In front of the entire city.

"It hit us hard. We had just started the bridge and were looking forward to good fortune. Many people became wary; it took a great deal of work to even convince the city to finish the bridge. It …changed Inari the most. He lost faith in what his father had taught him; he felt as if he had been failed."

The words had barely left his mouth when Anko snorted harshly. "Hey Naruto, let's go spar for a bit before bed," she offered, tilting her head to the door. Naruto nodded and quickly moved out after her.

"My apologies Tazuna-san," Kakashi said quietly. "Your grandson won't find much pity among us."

"I'm not asking for pity. I'm just explaining his attitude," Tazuna responded.

Sakura frowned and hastily whispered her intention to go to sleep. Kakashi nodded to her and then stood from the table as well, motioning for Sasuke to follow him. Tazuna was left alone in the room.

Sakura crept along the hallways and peaked around the corner when she heard a door shut. Tsunami was walking away from a door sighing loudly. Once the woman had entered another room, Sakura crept around the corner and entered the room she had walked out of. Sure enough, Inari was sitting on the windowsill crying.

"When I was about four, my mother died. She wasn't a ninja or anything. She had been sick since as early as I could remember. When she died, I blamed her. I couldn't understand why she couldn't get better; I thought she didn't want me anymore, that she was abandoning me. Even as I grew older those feelings never really went away," she admitted.

"Well that's stupid," Inari stated quickly wiping the tears away from his eyes.

"Yeah it was. But it's the same thing you're doing. Do you really think he wanted people to be so disheartened by his death? Do you really think he wants you to lose faith in those around you and be cowed into submission? The bridge can't save this nation if its people won't fight for it," Sakura stated. "Do really think this Kaiza guy would have wanted you to back off? Wasn't the bridge his dream?"

Inari turned and looked at her slightly surprised. "I don't think it's very fair to put that kind of weight on man's shoulder. After someone dies, you should remember their accomplishments, not lament their failures or how better things would be if they were still around. Doing that only hurts everyone, especially the loved ones left behind," Sakura declared. "Wouldn't you rather see the bridge, his dream, finished so that you have something physical to celebrate?

With that said, Sakura walked back out of the boy's room and headed out of the house to join her teammates. She found Kakashi and Sasuke outside watching as Anko and Naruto faced off on the water again. They weren't using the tanto bo but instead, Anko seemed to focusing on forcing Naruto to use as much of the fluid style she had taught him as possible.

"Hey sensei, what's that called?" she asked sitting down next to Kakashi and pointing at them.

"Don't know. I know it's based off an old foreign style…dragon or something, but it's said that within two generations of being used by Anko's family it was too different to be considered that style," Kakashi explained.

"You're surprised that she taught it to him."

"Well, like I said, it's a family style. But it makes sense, she doesn't really have family left. Her parents and most of her older cousins, aunts and uncles were killed off during the wars. A lot of clans diminished to single family units, if they managed to stay around. Her Aunt died during the Kyuubi's attack.

"Anyways, enough about Anko. I'm just about back to normal so starting tomorrow I'm going to split you guys up into shifts on the bridge so that I can spend some time training you individually. Each morning I'm going to send two of you to the bridge, those two will be relieved in the afternoon by Anko and I'll work with all three of you until the evening. You two will have the first shift tomorrow morning. The morning after that it will Sasuke and Naruto and so on. Any questions?"

Both Genin shook their heads and Kakashi nodded. "Alright, head in. I'll get Naruto and Anko and we'll join you," he dismissed.

_**XX Day 16 of Mission: Day 10 in Wave XX**_

"It's been over a week Kakashi. They'll be coming soon," Anko stated as she and Kakashi sparred. "It isn't safe to leave your brats at the bridge alone." On the sidelines, Sakura scowled at the implication but kept her mouth shut. As confident as she was in her team, she wasn't going to argue about an opponent like Zabuza.

"This afternoon, I'll head to the bridge and stay with Naruto and Sasuke. I've been thinking that everyone seems to know Tazuna's family and with the way he talks about them…they'd be easy bait of Gatou bothered to look into his situation. I think you and Sakura should take Tsunami and Inari and maybe take them into town," Kakashi told her.

"Going into town won't discourage attack if the public execution Tazuna told us about is anything to go by. But maybe we'll at least be able to prove to these cowards that we're actually capable of standing up for them," Anko muttered in agreement.

"That's no way to talk about our client state," Kakashi chastised once again cursing himself. _Working with her is like working with my students. It feels like I'm suddenly teaching first years at the academy_, Kakashi thought in exasperation.

"I don't tolerate such weakness. Their mindsets are the reason their country is in this position. If Konoha rolled over every time we faced a problem, Fire Country wouldn't exist. Just because this isn't a ninja state doesn't excuse half of what that kid's said about his father," Anko argued.

Kakashi prepared to argue but just shrugged it off. It wasn't worth arguing with someone who had been in the same situation but dealt with it differently. "Anyway, what you do with them is really up to the two of you. Hopefully Zabuza will come straight at Tazuna. Use a flare if he comes after you," Kakashi warned, stepping away.

"Will do," Anko saluted moving to pull Sakura back to her feet.

"We'll see you tonight then. Be careful," Kakashi bid his farewell with a wave and then disappeared.

"Let's go pick up the brat and his mother," Anko offered.

_**X**_

Kakashi arrived at the bridge and found it mostly deserted. He had to wait around for a few minutes before the first men returned from their lunch break. Most of the workers waved a bit nervously to the elusive ninja – he was the only one of the five who had not taken guard duty – others skirted around him and began preparing to return to work.

Just like Tazuna had said, the bridge was almost completed, but this was the first time Kakashi had actually been by to see it. He doubted it would take the man another week to finish as long as there were no more interruptions. Like the interruption currently preparing to attack the workers at the edge of the bridge. Sometimes he really hated his job.

Kakashi disappeared from the railing and flashed back into sight in front of the masked ninja aiming at the poor workers. "You must be Zabuza's cohort," he stated. "The rest of you get out of here," he added turning to see that Naruto and Sasuke were watching him and the masked ninja cautiously as they stood at Tazuna's side.

When mist began to drift onto the bridge, Kakashi ignored the ninja in front of him and moved to stand next to his students to help defend Tazuna. "Just remember, keep your heads together and don't be intimidated," Kakashi hissed to them.

"You're awfully sure of these ones, aren't you. What did you do with the girls?" Zabuza's voice asked from all sides. They realized why when the clones became visible through the mist.

"Don't listen to him more than you have to. The voice is supposed to throw you off," Kakashi stated. He could see Naruto looking between him and the clones questioningly. "Do it."

Both boys left his side and he backed up closer to Tazuna as multiple splashes were heard. Naruto and Sasuke immediately returned to formation as they heard footsteps nearing their location. The mist parted theatrically as Zabuza and his masked partner appeared watching them several meters away. "Who fights the partner?" Sasuke asked.

"That isn't up to you," a voice suddenly whispered into his ear as the air grew chill. He barely dodged the senbon that the ninja was wielding and was forced to move away from Tazuna. Naruto kept an eye on him but moved so that Tazuna was still covered. He glanced at Sasuke and made sure to send duller pulses of chakra so that he wouldn't distract Sasuke while contacting Sakura.

"Stay with him," Kakashi ordered.

_**X**_

"How exactly are we safer out in the open?" Tsunami asked as the two kunoichi continued to drag them through the marketplace. Inari was engrossed with trying to restrain Sakura's dog and was too busy to be annoyed by being pulled away from the house and losing half a days work.

"You aren't really. But it will make it a bit harder to track us down. Some of his thugs…not most, but some, will hesitate to attack in crowds. Others will be so fed up by the time they find us that their attacks will be less controlled than normal," Anko explained.

"Three pretty women all in a row."

Anko scowled and turned around stepping in front of Sakura and Tsunami. Inari pulled on Houkou's leash – Sakura had only attached it so Inari would have something to do – and turned to join them but a fellow villager pulled him back into a stand.

"Why did the old man bother hiring a bunch of women to keep his family safe? Now we get to have fun with all three of 'ya. Course the pink one is a bit young," a tattooed man muttered, leering at the three.

"Idiot."

Both men turned in surprise to find Anko suddenly standing behind them. With his back to Sakura, the tattooed man was caught off guard at the feeling of knee being bashed into his head. The other was knocked unconscious when Anko stepped forward and punched him hard in the jaw. "You were right, they were idiots," Sakura muttered as Tsunami shook herself out of her shock but continued to stare between Sakura and Anko and the two men lying on the street.

She was snapped out of it all the way when Inari finally managed to wiggle away from the shop keeper who had been hiding him and dove for his mother, crying as he hugged her waist.

"This means they're going after father," Tsunami finally stated, hugging Inari back.

"Ah don't worry about that. Kakashi and the boys will handle it. We need to stick with you in case they send anyone else. Do you guys have any type of police force that can hold these two?" Anko asked changing the subject as she pulled out a reel of wire and began to tie the two together.

"No one will hold Gatou's men," Tsunami told her a frown marring her face as more villagers came in closer.

"Don't be so sure. The magistrate won't, but you can string them up in the store house if you want," one of the shopkeepers said stepping forward.

"But we don't really have the forces to keep an eye on them," a younger man at his side admitted.

"Don't worry about that," Anko told them, biting her thumb and performing several seals. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu," she stated putting a fairly small amount of chakra into the summoning.

A small snake appeared coiled on the ground and looked around for a moment before its eyes settled on Anko. "You sssso rarely ssssummon uss," it hissed to her.

"You so rarely listen to me," Anko retorted. "But I think you'll like this. If those two men there," she said pointing at the two thugs she had tied up, "try to get away, you can bite them, eat them, dispose of them in any way you want. Will you do it?"

"Cccertainly," the small snake hissed in what sounded like delight.

"Good, just follow those men. They're going to throw them in a back room. You just need to stop them from escaping or being rescued. I'll relieve you later this afternoon." When the snake nodded again and slithered over to wrap around the neck of one of the thugs Anko turned to the shop keeper and added, "Just throw them out of your way for a few hours and don't worry about it."

"Yes m'am," he replied gaining a disgusted look from Anko and a giggle from Sakura.

"What are you doing about the bridge?" an older woman asked nervously. "My son is there."

"Eh, Kakashi probably told all the workers to leave. The only person he'd probably keep in the area is Tazuna, that way he can keep Zabuza in the area for a fight. I wouldn't worry about it," Anko dismissed him turning to Sakura. "Have you heard from them?"

"Um…yeah. Maybe five minutes ago. Zabuza showed up with his partner. Kakashi and Sasuke fighting them. Naruto's with Tazuna. He won't be able to send much because it would possibly distract Sasuke but he'll send word if something more happens."

"Well, until that happens I think we were right in choosing to stay out in the open," Anko declared. "That said, let's have a look around," she added pulling Tsunami away from the other worried citizens and taking off.

Nearly a block away she realized that Sakura had yet to follow. She turned pulling Tsunami with her and looked back at the younger girl where she had stopped.

Sakura's eyes were squinted and she appeared withdrawn from her surroundings. If Anko watched close enough she could see the occasional twitches of the fingers on her left hand as they tapped against her thigh. Tsunami opened her mouth to call out the girl's name but Anko slapped a hand over her mouth. "Don't interrupt," she ordered.

After nearly a minute Sakura's eyes opened wide. "I have to go. Stay with them and head to the bridge no sooner than fifteen minutes from now. By then the fights should be over," Sakura called back before disappearing over rooftops.

"Is she…psychic?" one of the older citizens asked in awe. Anko fought desperately to hide her laughter.

_**X**_

Sasuke was getting really ticked off. The mirrors that formed a cage around him had so far proven impenetrable. He had tried every fire jutsu he knew and they hadn't done anything.

His opponent was annoying too. The sharingan gave him a slight advantage. He could follow the other's speed and avoid most of the senbon being fired his way but the sharingan drained a lot of chakra. So did enhancing his speed and he wasn't sure he would be able to just continue dodging until Kakashi or one of his teammates came to his aide. In fact, he was positive he really did not want to wait for that to happen.

Dodge left.

Right.

Up.

Kick off.

This guy's speed allowed him to dodge even easier than Sasuke. He had apparently realized that Sasuke's reactions were above par and was barely moving out from the mirrors, choosing to slip out only an arm or part of his upper body before retreating again to attack from another side.

At least he could see how someone who probably wasn't much older than he had seemed so powerful. Without the sharingan, even seasoned jounin would become sitting ducks for this attack. _It probably wouldn't bother Naruto_, Sasuke snorted to himself. His eyes widened at the thought and he quickly suppressed a smirk. _If I can't tear it down from in here; they can bring it down from outside_.

As the plan grew in his mind he quickly began sending word to his teammates. With any luck, they'd be the ones moving to Kakashi's rescue and not the other way around.

_**X**_

Outside the mirrors, Naruto could only strain his eyes, ears, and nose for any signs that more attackers were approaching. Kakashi had disappeared into the Mist. Occasionally he caught bits of conversation between his teacher and the missing nin. Other times he could only hear the sounds of fighting from both Sasuke and Kakashi. The pained grunts were the most annoying to take.

"Brat."

Scratch that. The old man next to him was the most annoying to take. He was nowhere near as grateful as he should have been for what they were doing for him and he kept randomly trying to ask him questions. _You'd think after two weeks the old man would have realized I can't talk_! He growled.

_Indeed._

Naruto's eyes crossed for a moment but he shook his head and then turned to wave off Tazuna as he tried to focus on the message Sasuke was sending. Tazuna slipped several steps back as an odd grin slipped onto the blonde's face.

Naruto glanced up at him and wondered exactly how he was supposed to explain it to the old man. Shrugging he created several clones and had two of them pull Tazuna back several feet. Two more moved with the old man to keep a close guard on him while a third moved along the bridge's handrail to the finished end of the bridge to lead Sakura towards him.

She appeared much sooner than he had expected and Naruto sent out a dull pulse of chakra to tell Sasuke that they were moving into place. While Sakura stayed on the side of the mirrors near Tazuna and the Naruto clones. Naruto and two more clones took places around the rest of the perimeter. Each of them had two kunai with explosive tags and on Sasuke's signal they each threw one, waited just a moment, and then threw the second.

None of them were certain that the explosions would damage the cage but at the very least they hoped it would distract their opponent long enough for Sasuke to move outside of them.

Sure enough as the smoke was still lying heavily over the area and Sakura moved next to Tazuna to keep watch Sasuke signaled that he was fine and a moment later dispersed the clone next to him to show Naruto where he was. The blond appeared next to him shortly after and they waited for their opponent to make his appearance.

A sudden, sharp pulse on his wrist interrupted Sasuke as he turned to look at Naruto. Without hesitation, both took off towards Sakura and Tazuna.

Their teammate appeared to be holding her own in close combat with the masked ninja but Sasuke noticed that he was using a fraction of his earlier speed. "Get him away from Tazuna," Sasuke ordered veering towards the left.

Naruto signaled to the two remaining clones before moving towards the right. Both clones understood the message and began pulling the elderly man away from the fight.

Sakura could hear them coming but she couldn't focus on anything other than the boy in front of her. His breathing was sounding heavier with each passing moment but hers was almost bad and she hadn't been fighting as long. _Although having to run all the way here should count for something,_ she frowned. _Shit!_

Sakura's eyes widened temporarily when her opponent slipped one arm under her guard and reached for her neck. She tried to dodge backwards but she could feel the thin needle piercing her skin. She was fairly certain that she heard Sasuke shouting her name but her legs collapsed under her weight and her head hit the ground hard.

_**X**_

"SAKURA!"

Kakashi's head swiveled temporarily away from Zabuza when he heard Sasuke's panicked shout. Sakura's chakra wavered oddly, much weaker than usual.

"Hmph. Looks like one of your brats wasn't good enough," Zabuza hissed from somewhere on his left.

Kakashi stilled and forced himself to collect his wits. His sharingan wasn't helping much with all the mist. It was doing little more than draining his chakra and giving him just enough warning against frontal assaults. _This has to end before we fail our mission_, he though angrily reaching into a pouch on his jacket and pulling out a scroll.

"You should have picked better tools. Not even capable of keeping their composure. They will never become real shinobi."

Kakashi glanced down at the gash Zabuza had managed to cut on his arm and sighed. _They'll be able to follow my scent_, he assured himself unfurling the scroll and running a line of blood through the characters printed on it. "Kuchiyose: Tsuiga no Jutsu," he said slamming his palms and the scroll onto the bridge's surface.

_**X**_

Sasuke's punch caught their opponent off guard as he dodged away from Naruto._He's definitely getting slower_, Sasuke realized in relief. Naruto hadn't fought as much so even if he was worn down the blond would be able to take over.

The ninja pulled out two more senbon and ignored Naruto when he moved to attack Sasuke. Sasuke pulled out two kunai to parry his opponents strikes and they quickly fell back into the nearly the same struggle they had had before Sasuke had been trapped by the ice mirrors.

Naruto could do nothing but keep an eye on Tazuna as they continued the close fight. He was surprised when Sasuke's opponent suddenly sent them both flying over the railing of the bridge. Naruto created several more clones to keep an eye on Tazuna before running to the edge of the railing to keep an eye on them.

Down below, Sasuke had already had to deactivate his sharingan so that he could focus on staying on the surface of the sea. "You're at a disadvantage. The water here is at my disposal," his opponent pointed out forming several one handed seals.

From the bridge above Naruto watched the masked ninja begin to perform seals and he cursed silently. _If he traps Sasuke in those mirrors again he'll be killed_. The sounds of Kakashi's fight had increased but he knew his sensei was too busy to help them. Creating yet another shadow clone he sent a few quick pulses through the bracelet to Sasuke and slapped a tag on the clone's back; however, he was distracted from Sasuke by the sudden piercing chirps that he heard from the direction of his sensei. He had only turned away for a moment when he felt his clone disappear only to be replaced by Sasuke, who immediately ducked when they heard an explosion below them.

The bridge went silent again and Naruto began fidgeting when Kakashi didn't appear immediately. "Oi, you brats still here?"

Sasuke glared at the small pug dog who had appeared in front of them and glanced back at Tazuna to find that the old man had apparently fainted and was still being guarded by a gaggle of Naruto clones. "Kakashi's done. Where's your opponent?" the dog continued.

Naruto moved back to the edge of the bridge and looked over frowning. Sasuke joined him commenting, "If that explosion killed him then he's gone. Can you smell anything?"

The dog shook his head but Sasuke wasn't fluent enough in annoying Pakkunese to interpret the motion.

'He didn't get away,' Naruto signed after tugging on Sasuke's sleeve to get his attention.

Sasuke nodded and finally turned towards Sakura's body. "Don't worry about the other kid. Her breathing is steady but don't try to move her until Kakashi gets here," Pakkun stated.

"He didn't…"

"Nope looks like he just wanted her out of the way. Temporarily paralyzed, doubt she'll even need two days to recover."

The mist began to clear away from the bridge as Kakashi finally made his way towards them. His eye twitched as he made his way past them and heard the snores coming out of Tazuna's mouth. "Wait up here with Sakura," he finally told Naruto and Sasuke before vaulting over the side of the bridge.

'Pervert was bleeding,' Naruto signed in concern.

"He'll be fine," Pakkun claimed trotting over lazily to rest his head on Naruto's foot.

"You can read sign language?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"Course not. I can judge facial expressions well enough to notice what he was probably thinking. He didn't look concerned until he saw Kakashi which suggests he's commenting on him."

"He could have been insulting him," Sasuke reasoned.

"I wouldn't have said anything if I thought he was insulting Kakashi."

"Not even in my defense?" Kakashi asked reappearing on the railing.

The pug snorted derisively. "Is there a reason I'm still here?"

"To keep an eye on them while I clean up," Kakashi explained, moving back towards Zabuza's body.

"Kakashi wait. You have visitors," Pakkun called out already nudging Naruto to look at the end of the bridge.

"There's nothing there," Sasuke commented looking at the dog oddly.

Pakkun snorted and Sasuke was proven wrong when two men dressed like ninja landed at the edge of the bridge holding an older man between them. The man moved his arms to rest on his cane and looked around appraisingly. "Maybe I should let them finish this bridge before taking over. The tolls it could gather would be just as lucrative as port fees," he stated loud enough for both boys, Pakkun and Kakashi to hear. "And it looks like the demon of the mist did his job and you did yours. That makes mine even easier," he added grining when he looked from Tazuna's prone form to Zabuza's. "And even that annoying boy who came with him. So lucky. Now all I have to do is get rid of you and I lose nothing."

Naruto glanced over at Tazuna and realized that the man was now awake but remaining still as he listened to the other man's speech. _Must be that Gatou guy_, he reasoned moving to stand with his clones. Sasuke and Pakkun both followed but the dog stopped and laid down next to Sakura while Sasuke continued on to stand next to the real Naruto.

"He's got a lot of back up," Pakkun muttered just loud enough for his voice to drift over to Naruto and Sasuke. They understood what he was talking about when men began to climb onto the unfinished end of the bridge to stand next to Tazuna. "How did Kakashi miss the boats?" he added glancing over at his summoner.

"A bit outnumbered, eh?" Kakashi turned away from the dog he had been glaring at to see Anko arrive next to him. "I would have come sooner but whatever message the boys sent to Sakura suggested I wait at least fifteen minutes; I think they wanted playtime without interference."

"It's your playtime now if you're up to it. Naruto should still be good to go, aside from the clones he's been sticking with Tazuna so he hasn't done as much fighting. Sakura's down for the count as Sasuke's probably as drained as I am," Kakashi told her.

"No need to fight. As much fun as that would be I don't think the people here really want to have to clean up a bunch of bodies and blood stains before they finish the bridge."

"How kind of you," Kakashi muttered.

"Indeed. Kuchiyose no Jutsu."

Two large snakes both as thick as Kakashi's waist appeared in front of Anko looking at her curiously. "I know I don't normally summon you, but how would you like to have some fun?" she asked grinning cheekily.

"What will you pay us with?" on hissed back.

Anko's grinned turned vaguely menacing and she pointed at the large group of men at the end of the bridge. "You can have as many of them as you want on one condition: the one with the cane and broken arm needs to be captured alive. The rest you can eat or just drive off the bridge. Sound good to you?"

"Indeed," the second snake hissed twisting to get a good look at the bandits behind Gatou. "A wonderful sacrifice," it added as it began to move forward. The other snake quickly joined it.

"Now all we've got to do is make sure the fat man doesn't escape and take out any of the lackeys that decide to run this way," she reasoned.

"You're summoning again."

"Yeah I learned this afternoon they're actually still listening to me," Anko reasoned. "I mean most of the jutsu still work but the real summonings are usually more sentient but apparently loyalties don't really matter just keeping up my end of the contract," Anko reasoned.

"You're not going to test that by summoning Manda are you?" Kakashi asked a bit nervously.

"Hell no. He wouldn't even listen to Orochimaru most of the time."

Several minutes later the snakes had finished their jobs and one of them, moving sluggishly because his stomach was fairly full, dropped Gatou in front of Anko and Kakashi. "Anything elsssse?" it hissed happily.

"No, you're both dismissed," Anko told it leaning forward to look at the man in front of her. "Is money really all it takes to make someone like this frightening?" she asked in disdain. "Pathetic."

"Well, if that's all we should escort Tazuna back to his house and retrieve his daughter and grandson from wherever you left them," Kakashi reasoned, drawing her attention away. "After that, we'll decide what to do with him. Local authorities probably shouldn't be left to handle him."

"Right. I got him; you should get that needle out of Sakura's neck before she dies of blood loss or something," Anko pointed out. "I'll take Naruto and Sasuke with me. You follow with Tazuna when you're ready," she added beckoning for the boys to follow her as she hoisted Gatou to his feet.

'Is Blossom alright?' Naruto asked Kakashi before following Anko.

"Yeah. I'll take care of her injuries here before moving her. You all did an excellent job," Kakashi told him, ruffling Naruto's hair before pulling the hood up over the blond mop of hair and down to cover Naruto's eyes. Naruto grinned and continued on after Anko, Sasuke, and their prisoner.

_**XX Day 29 of Mission: Day 23 in Wave XX**_

Like Pakkun had guessed, it had only taken Sakura three days to recover fully from her injuries. For the first day she had been joined in her rest by Kakashi and Sasuke while Naruto went to the bridge with Tazuna and Anko secured a cell for Gatou and handful of his lackeys that they had caught. Tsunami had stepped up to help make sure that their trials were taken care of without the involvement of corrupt officials and numerous citizens had stepped forward to join in guarding the men – not that Anko or any of the shinobi really trusted them, which was why a barrier was placed around each of their cells just in case.

The following weeks passed quickly and although the country was not immediately better it seemed that word had spread of Gatou's fall and already the general mood of the small country was improving drastically. When the bridge was pronounced finished Kakashi declined Tazuna's enthusiastic offer to attend the opening ceremony saying that it was better if they left before that date so that Sakura could finally get a check up with a medic nin. To express their thanks over a hundred villagers turned out to bid the shinobi goodbye as they set off back towards Konoha.

"What a bunch," Tazuna chuckled as the five ninja waved farewell and left the bridge.

"Hey we still need to decide what to name the bridge," Geiji pointed out.

"I think I have the perfect idea," Tazuna stated in satisfaction.

_**XX Day 31 of Mission: Return to Konoha XX**_

Haruno Sanzo was surprised when he opened the door and found Mitarashi Anko holding his daughter's prone form. He was worried for a moment until he heard a soft snore come from his daughter and Anko chuckled. "Sorry about bothering you. She fell asleep after a debriefing and her sensei had to make sure her teammates got home so he asked me to drop her off," Anko explained.

"Of course Mitarashi-san," Sanzo replied reaching forward to take Sakura from the woman.

Anko waved and was quickly off before Sanzo could ask why she had been around the team's debriefing in the first place.

* * *

**Agent's Spiel**: During the scene where Anko and Kakashi are talking on the bridge (after the fight) it's a lot of funnier if you imagine the summons chasing men all over the bridge while the two have that fairly tame conversation. Also if I remember I'm going to edit this chapter a bit more in the morning because I'm too tired right now. If you notice anything big just include in a review or pm or something.

I'm still not happy with a lot of my transitions in this chapter. Especially the one between Days 3 and 6 but I didn't want to put in more useless small talk since there was already a lot of exposition or whatever. Also, **not enough Naruto!** I think I did a lot better job of bringing him into _Beating_ than I did into this section (except for a few bits at the end). He's pretty much always there but it's so hard to make his presence known unless he's really fighting for attention, which you can definitely expect him to start doing again soon. I might actually write like an interlude chapter or something that just focuses on him for a day so that we can catch up with him, would you guys like that?

If the whole sharingan thing confused me just email me and I'll try to clear it up a bit more. I just noticed that no one seems affected by Sasuke's sharingan the way they tend to react to Kakashi's, and on occasion Itachi's. This is just a random excuse that I came up with. The theory is that since he still gets most of the benefits, he can fight at a skill level that is not only impressive for a Genin, but also a bit unnatural. The fact that his opponents can't figure out why he is capable of this unnerves them the same way the hypnosis would, and would have a similar effect on spectators.

Sorry if the constant use of 'their opponent' (or some such variety of 'masked ninja') annoyed you. I figured it didn't make sense to use Haku's name if they never learned it and I never had Zabuza say his name either (which would have been the smart thing to do but I'm not rewriting it).

Bokken are wooden training swords. Wikipedia called 'tanto bo' the tanto version of a bokken. I'm gonna go with this unless someone else can give me a better name _and_ a source for it since everywhere else I went didn't give me a name just pictures.

And lastly, if you haven't picked up on it yet, Sakura's background is obviously not canon.

Jutsu:

_Senei Jashu_ – Hidden Shadow Snake Hands

_Kirigakure no Jutsu_ – Hidden Mist Jutsu

_Kage Bunshin_ – Shadow Clone

_Henge_ – Transformation technique

_Kuchiyose no Jutsu_ – Spiritualism Technique (Summoning) [I am going on the theory that Anko shares Orochimaru's summoning contract but I don't think this has actually been proven in the manga

_Makyou Hyoushou_ – Demonic Ice Crystal Mirrors (If you didn't recognize it above it's the jutsu Haku traps Sasuke in.

_Kuchiyose: Tsuiga no Jutsu_ – Summoning: (Earth) Tracking Fang Technique

_Chidori_ – Thousand birds (the noise Naruto hears if you couldn't guess)

Thanks to all my reviewers:

_Pagen, anon732, TheRavenQuoth, Kage Husha, Tama Saga, DarkRavie, Marz1, EmeraldEyed, theo darkstar, Fhulhi the Crazy, Cleo, Azamiko, stardragon, Random Reader, AznPuffyHair, ghost44, MadaMag, Lady Silverhawk, Sheri-chan, Blood Zephyr, thegentrygmail, Lord-Scruffy, Demonkid, Violet Shadows, AyameKitsune, Pance, Social Disorder, angeldevil11, Sevrin Saphir, Amsuhl, Harry Slytherinson. _

_Dragon695_ – I really don't know what to say to you even though I'm sure you aren't reading this. I based most of what I said about their clothing on comparisons with what a lot of the older Genin were wearing in the first test of the Chuunin Exam and the fact that Naruto is really the only one to dress so brightly so I don't really understand your comment about Fire Country. Anyways, sorry the clothes ruined it for you I really didn't think I was going overboard there.

I think it was Cleo who asked about this but I couldn't reply to her/(him?) because there wasn't an email address. Anyways, I was asked about whether or not the Sandaime would ever implement his plan to have Sasuke stay with Iruka as well because Sasuke was isolating himself so much. This was briefly touched on again when Iruka turned down the idea (Beating II). It will probably come up again, but the team is spending so much time together as it is that he doesn't have a choice but to interact with them outside of normal training as well so he's already showing some…improvement isn't really the right word, but he is showing more sensitivity to his teammates already. I hope that sort of answers your question for now.

And lastly, I still haven't decided on a name for their jutsu but Lord Scruffy suggested _Chibi Tenshi Nakitsuku no Jutsu_ which means 'small angel begging in tears' (I have to check the translation but that's what I was told). That sounds adorable so I'm considering it at the moment.

**Question time: I'd like your input on the bridge's name. It will be included several times in future chapters so any comments on the choices below, or even original ideas, would be very appreciated.**

**Kaikajishin** – turning over a new leaf (like making a fresh start) I think**Koushiishin** means the same thing so that's another option.

**Great Kaiza** – named after Kaiza the 'hero'

**Konnoyoi** – enduring

**Just tack bridge onto any of those and you get the idea. **

**Thanks, Agent Spielplatz!**


	13. Interlude: Playing

**Agent's Spiel**: I don't normally give commentary on what I write like this (I prefer to let it speak for itself) but after last chapter and a few reviews I got I kind of feel like I have to. Obviously, there were a lot of changes to last chapter when compared to the original wave arc. Because of the changes that Naruto has gone through the arc_could not_ be as important as it was originally, there was just no way for it to play out firstly because he has no voice and secondly because he's already advanced to a point where he is not as…excitable. The point in showing him guarding Tazuna was to show that he had matured to the point that he understood the importance of the mission over personal glory, something that he never showed in the manga as he frequently loses track of the mission in favor of a fight. Also obviously, it does mean that there will be a change in Naruto's ninja way, once again there is _no way_ for it to shape up as it did in the manga (or perhaps how it typically turns out in fanfiction – namely Naruto showing up everyone including Zabuza). I'm sorry if people thought I strayed too far but this is does qualify as an alternate reality so it isn't meant to follow the Naruto plot exactly.

This won't come in for another four or five chapters, but I did decide, and a lot of reviewers seemed to agree, that the bridge's name should be the Kaikajishin Bridge. It's supposed to refer to Konoha's involvement while also referring to the fresh start they're getting, because it means 'to turn a new leaf' – if you aren't familiar with the expression it's another way of saying to start fresh.

I'm not putting in nifty time stamps because it only covers a four day spread: three days from Wave to Konoha including the day of their return, and the day after it.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Interlude: Playing**

Naruto yawned as he trailed behind his teammates on the road back. They were keeping up a fair pace, mainly because there were no expected attacks or old men slowing them down. _Especially not stupid old men who don't realize when people can't talk to them,_ Naruto huffed a bit angrily.

Admittedly, he was glad the mission was over. It hadn't been nearly as much fun as the mission to Sarutoshi. _Merinda-san and Biru-san were a lot nicer than Tazuna and that Inari brat_.

_More action_.

_A lot more action. Sasuke got to show off a lot though. I guess that makes up for us teasing him all the way to Wave Country. And we did get a lot of training in_. _And Anko's snakes were cool. I should ask her to teach me that_, Naruto thought grinning.

_No_.

He frowned at that thought but shrugged it off. It was pleasant being out of the village at least. No hiding out in his room in Iruka's house and not being allowed to visit Ichiraku's or really eat ramen at all. Sure he had a grown a few centimeters – he was actually as tall Sakura finally – but he knew it wasn't just the food._Seriously, it wasn't like I was gonna remain short my entire life_, he snorted to himself gaining an amused look from Anko.

"Hey brat," she called quietly, tilting her head for him to catch up and slowing her pace just a bit so that he could match it. "Did you have fun?"

Naruto frowned and immediately shook his head at that. "Don't worry, missions get a lot more exciting as you go up in rank. The clients don't usually get better though," she admitted.

'Why?'

"The wealthier they get the more snobbish. A lot of nobles think shinobi are…well brutes," she admitted.

Houkou's excited barking interrupted anything more she might have said and Naruto frowned at the dog currently being placed in Sakura's bag. "We're gonna speed it up a bit," Kakashi called back in explanation.

"To the trees?" Anko called back gaining a quick nod.

"Just let these three set the pace," Kakashi added.

When Sakura stood up and strapped her bag onto her back Kakashi nodded again and they took to the trees leaving no room for conversation.

Kakashi called for them to stop when the canopy became too dark for even him to properly navigate and then set up camp. Sakura and Sasuke had drifted off to sleep rather quickly and even Naruto was beginning to doze off as he lay not far from the fire. He was content to remain quiet as Anko and his sensei sat quietly just a few feet away.

"Two days at most Anko."

Naruto woke up a bit at Kakashi's sudden announcement and Anko looked over at the man in confusion. "What?"

"You have two more days before we make it back. I'm still waiting for my answer," Kakashi claimed.

"Clarify your question for me," Anko finally replied quietly. Naruto could feel her gaze on him but he kept his eyes shut.

"I find it rather odd that a Special Jounin was demoted to Academy teacher just at the same time that he started at the academy. I find it even odder that I never saw him before the night of his accident."

"Kakashi that's not a fair question," Anko insisted.

"Ninja in the village aren't dumb and I don't want to believe that so many of us are just blind. I know for a fact that you aren't."

"Jerk," Anko mumbled causing Naruto to frown.

"So how long have you known?"

"Remember that jutsu they used on Sandaime?" Anko asked a bit sadly.

"You freaked out. Even Ibiki noticed."

"That's what he looked like the first time I saw him. He was a bit scrawnier but everything else was spot on, even the little pout."

_She knew Sasuke?_ Naruto thought in interest. _Wonder how._

_Idiot_.

**XXXXXX**

**XXXXXX**

"Congratulations Team 7 on a mission well done," the Hokage stated looking at the three Genin. All three had been forced into the hospital by Iruka for precautionary check ups; so Kakashi had spent the time going over the mission with him in preparation for their debriefing. "I take it the medics found nothing of concern?"

"We're all spot on!" Sakura assured him before covering up a yawn.

"I see. Well, I won't keep you for long," the Hokage replied holding his pipe jauntily as he looked at the trio. "I believe you have all more than proven that I was right in putting such faith in your abilities. Your performance on this mission, according to Kakashi, was above and beyond the norm for most of your age range. That said, I think we'll have you take a short break before you go back on missions so that Kakashi can further the training he started while you were in Wave. The Council may ask to see you at some time this week, please don't feel frightened; they are just as impressed as I am," he added patting Naruto's shoulder and slipping a small package into his hands before waving them out of the office.

"That was the shortest debriefing on record," Anko whistled as Team 7 walked out of the office and towards where she had been sitting waiting for them.

"He doesn't like long meetings either," Kakashi shrugged happily. "Has he spoken with you yet?"

Anko ignored Kakashi's question and grinned at the Genin before noticing how tired they looked. "Umm maybe they should go home and sleep," she suggested turning back to him.

"Ah, if you would be so kind as to take Sakura home, I'll get these two back. Also, I want a day off before we pick up training again, so you can play with them tomorrow and then join us the next day when we pick up where we left off with the tanto."

'Bye Orange,' Naruto managed to sign before Kakashi settled a hand on each of the boy's shoulders and poofed them out of the hallway.

'Pervert,' Naruto signed angrily when they appeared in front of Sasuke's house. Kakashi's grin just annoyed him more and he turned to look around, his eyes widening as he took in the expansive and eerily empty area they had appeared in. _Bastard lives here? Alone?_ He wondered, his anger dissipating further.

"Make sure to meet Anko at the bridge tomorrow. And get something to eat before you pass out," Kakashi called after Sasuke earning a hearty glare from the dark haired teen. Naruto giggled when the glare was accompanied with a quick sign of 'Go away' and followed by several heated pulses on his wrist as Sasuke bid his teammates a good evening. He grinned and sent a quick reply to both of them as he and Kakashi walked out of the Uchiha district and back into the main section of Konoha and towards Iruka's house.

'I don't like it,' Naruto finally signed bringing Kakashi's attention to him.

"Don't like what?" Kakashi asked putting his book away and actually giving Naruto his full attention.

'Hunter's house. Too big for him, and quiet,' Naruto declared.

"He likes it quiet."

'No. Hunter doesn't like talking but he doesn't like quiet either.'

"Is that so?"

Naruto nodded firmly and Kakashi's eye sloped up to show he was smiling. "I doubt he'll mind the quiet for a night after having to live in the same room as you and Sakura for a month," Kakashi assured him.

'I am not annoying anymore,' Naruto argued.

"That's a matter of opinion. I'll admit Iruka isn't as likely to end up with splitting headaches but you can still be annoying."

'You never even notice when I'm around unless I'm with Orange or Hunter because then you can ignore them for me.'

"That's not true. Oh…actually it is a bit true I guess," Kakashi admitted much to Naruto's triumph. "They're very easy to aggravate."

'Don't change subject. I'm better now.'

"True, but don't let that go to your head. You're hiding another one of the books, aren't you?" Kakashi asked changing the subject anyways.

'What book?'

"The one the Hokage gave you when he thought I wasn't looking."

Naruto grinned slightly before realizing what Kakashi was doing, 'Don't change subject.'

Kakashi snickered and pulled his book back out so that he could go back to ignoring Naruto. Naruto pouted and trailed behind him quietly as he looked at the nearly empty streets around them. He didn't remember the streets being this deserted this early in the evening but it had been some time since he had actually spent any time in the village without hurrying to or from training and normally he was busy trying to talk to Sakura or Sasuke so he wasn't paying much attention. _Sensei's plan worked anways. It's like none of them notice me when I'm with my teammates. They don't glare either_, he thought to himself.

_Maybe Iruka-sensei will let me go to Ichiraku tomorrow_.

**XXXXXX**

**XXXXXX**

"Umm…Kakashi?"

Kakashi tilted his head back to look at Anko curiously as she nervously peaked around the door into the Jounin Lounge. "What are you doing here?" he asked looking back down at his book.

"I uh…I may have lost your students."

Kakashi frowned, making sure it showed in his eye as he tilted his head back again and several other ninja turned to look at the woman as well. "How did you manage that? I've never been able to lose them and you were only supposed to put up with them for the afternoon," he pointed out.

"Yeah…well see it started out great but then we got kinda bored making fun of you and Iruka and I suggested we play a silly game like hide and seek. I probably should have realized that was a bad idea when they all looked so enthusiastic and I did try to change my mind but they used that jutsu and…and…I just couldn't say no to those cute little faces," Anko admitted.

"You challenged them to play hide and seek?" Kakashi repeated.

"Yeah," Anko intoned a bit nervously.

"Anko exactly what do you think I spent the first three months training them in?" Kakashi asked.

"How I would I know? I didn't really get the chance to see them all that much," Anko replied defensively.

"Stealth Anko. I taught them stealth."

"Well that would explain why they wanted to play so badly," Anko reasoned.

"Why did you give in to them?"

"I told you…they used that jutsu you let them create and I couldn't say 'no'."

"Is 'that jutsu' the one they used the Hokage?" Genma spoke up curiously.

"Yes."

"I don't get how that actually works. It just turns them into kids," Raidou reasoned.

"Actually it doesn't. It's meant to startle the observer and either bring out parental feelings or fright. Some people are downright terrified by little kids, like Kakashi. He can't stand 'em so he automatically gives in. The Hokage gives in because they are too adorable to say 'no' to," Anko explained. "Also I think Sakura may have added a genjutsu effect to it, but I haven't been able to figure it out yet."

"So why do you give in?" Genma asked.

"They…those eyes," Anko gasped. "And they're so tiny. Like little bite-sized pieces or something. How can you say no to that? How?"

"Anko, I take it you want me to give up my day off to help you find them?" Kakashi asked.

"That would be preferable."

"No."

"We'll help," Aoba spoke up.

"Please?" Anko asked ignoring the Jounin as she continued to badger Kakashi.

"No. They're your responsibility right now."

"We'll help too," Genma offered pointing to Raidou.

"Kakashi I'm this close to summoning one of the snakes to help me," Anko admitted still ignoring the other offers of help as she pounced on the back of the couch and pinching two fingers together to show just how close she was to relying on a summon who would likely try to eat the Genin before alerting Anko to their presence.

"If I summon Pakkun to help you will you leave me alone?" Kakashi asked hopefully.

"No. That dog is annoying as all hell," Anko stated firmly.

"Good then accept the help of a few shinobi who aren't quite as annoying as all hell and show us where you started from," Iwashi stated just as firmly, pulling Anko away from Kakashi and through the door as Genma, Raidou, and Aoba followed.

"Eh? You want to help?" She asked.

"Teasing his students? Hell yes," Raidou told her.

"But they don't you," Anko pointed out.

"Sakura knows me," Genma stated.

"I'm not worried about her."

"We won't scare blondie either," Genma told added.

"Finally figured it out?"

"Wasn't too difficult once you started to help out," Raidou added.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anko asked defensively. Genma snorted and Anko only frowned more. "I hate it when Kakashi's right," she muttered glaring at the four men.

"We aren't blind. But that's not the issue. Let's find his brats so we can take them back to the tower to bother him," Genma told her, grinning as he sped up and disappeared from sight. The others quickly followed even though Anko trailed behind them pouting and muttering disparaging remarks.

She finally landed next to the other men and wasn't entirely surprised to see that the Genin had gotten bored hiding and were now sprawled under a tree on the edge of the field. "Looks like we don't get to find out how stealthy they are anyways," Raidou stated when Anko walked up.

"Maybe. You should probably make sure they aren't Naruto's clones before declaring the search over," Anko told him.

"Clones? Those aren't Bunshin," Iwashi countered confidently.

"Kage Bunshin," Anko corrected.

"The kid actually managed to learn something from the scroll?" Genma whistled in surprise. "But still, the other two couldn't have learned it."

"Henge."

"You have to be joking," Aoba spoke up. "The kid can combine them that flawlessly."

"Yeah just toss a senbon that way. Kage Bunshin don't normally dodge when we're playing," Anko told them.

"Got a better idea," Genma smirked. "Hey Haruno! Wake up or I'll send for Gai and tell him how lazy your team is being."

The two boys looked over at the group sleepily but Sakura immediately jumped to her feet and looked around a bit frantically. "Genma I hate you!" she shrieked back after a moment before immediately turning to ignore him as she began to fix her hair.

"Uchiha doesn't look so good," Iwashi muttered pulling Anko away from glaring at Genma as well.

"He said he didn't sleep well," she commented. "And Genma don't do that to the poor girl. If Kakashi finds out he'll probably skin you."

"Uchiha actually talked?" Aoba commented in amazement as Naruto got to his feet rousing the puppy that had been sitting next to him. Houkou looked around for a moment before spotting the new people and immediately bound over to greet them.

"Of course Sasuke talks. He doesn't have much of a choice with his teammates," Anko chided.

"I figured Uzumaki wouldn't leave any one else time to talk."

Anko winced slightly as Genma's comment but turned her attention to the three Genin as they finally made their way over. "Will you feed us?" Sakura asked nicely, grinning up at Anko.

"Sure they will," Anko grinned back pointing at the four men behind her.

"Hey now…" Genma started to counter when Sakura turned to him.

"You owe us for that threat," she muttered darkly.

"Your dad in town?" Genma asked changing the subject blantantly as he grinned at Sakura.

"No. He left this morning for another mission to Sunagakure," she told him before turning to Anko with a pout.

"Well if that's the case, I suppose we can afford to feed three unfortunate Genin and one annoying Special Jounin. Will Iruka mind if we spoil their dinner?" Raidou asked.

"I saw him at the academy today," Iwashi spoke up. "I doubt they'll let him go any time before midnight. Kotetsu mentioned that every time he goes there they hold onto him as long as possible."

"Not surprising. The man had been practically running the place since Ebisu left a few years ago," Aoba added.

"Really?" Sakura asked.

"There isn't really a 'head' of the academy or anything. The Council and the Hokage are in charge but they don't handle a lot of the day to day stuff and it helps if there's a teacher who can, but since Iruka left none of the others have really been willing to step up since it takes so much time," Raidou told her.

"Man, no wonder Iruka-sensei was always so stressed out," Sakura giggled.

'Still is. Sensei just hides it better," Naruto grinned signing to Sakura and Sasuke.

"That's probably because his three most annoying students followed him out of the academy," Anko quipped back, winking at Naruto and not noticing that Genma had frozen midstep when he noticed Naruto signing.

"Anko…did he just sign?" Raidou asked.

"Obviously. So where are you four taking us?" Anko asked changing the subject.

The four men seemed to get the message and quickly led Anko and the Genin off the field and into town. Naruto rolled his eyes and fell in next to Sasuke. _As if I have any other choice,_ he thought in annoyance.

* * *

**Agent's Spiel:** I'm not sure if I really like this chapter, although I did enjoy writing Naruto more at the beginning. I tried to flesh it out since it was a full update, but since it wasn't planned a lot of it ended up seeming kinda pointless (and yes the ending is a total cop out), sorry.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I'm pretty sure I got back to all of you but if I didn't just pm me and remind me what you asked about. Keep in mind that normally if I don't answer something it could mean that you either**a)** asked about a pairing or **b)** asked something that will be answered in the story and that I don't want to spoil. If you think neither of those apply then drop me a line.

Thanks to:

_Kage Husha, Ellenlome, Hebi R, CGB, SaphirePhoenix, TwilightExodus, WaveMasterYami, AznPuffyHair, Gabwr, Cranky Guy, Lousy Poet Automaton, Dark-Angel-Emrys, Jerrac, Suki1, Choas Babe, anon732, hyourintenshi, Marz1, Azamiko, Kail Blade, DarkRavie, TamaSaga, AyameKitsune, ZaBuchar, show.me.the.stars, ADD Kyuubi Naruto, Lord-Scruffy, rldragon, Gothiclass, MadaMag, Bushin, Tetsu-sama, Sophia 94 tran, Blood Zephyr, deathy A. Saiyania, Taliath, Sugarpony, Aino Ailill, RobotPirateNinja,_

A quick note to _RobotPirateNinja_, you never responded to my review response so I really can't answer your question about Anko. If you see this or notice that response I'd really appreciate it if you could drop me a line as I'm concerned I left something open that I'm completely missing. Thanks!_  
_


	14. Dogs I

Agent's Spiel:

**Agent's Spiel**: Ummm…okay I have a silly question that I want answered as honestly as possible by anyone who's planning on reviewing or can pm me. Do any of you guys read the Spiels at the beginning or end of these? Also if you're going to review please answer the question at the bottom.

**Also:** WEEE!! Luckily the problem _was_ just with the power adaptor and not the port so a new adaptor was bought and I'm online with an on time update.

This chapter takes place a week or so after the last one. The exact amount of time isn't important.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Dogs**

"I take it your day went well?" Sanzo chuckled as Sakura stomped out of the house and into the small fenced enclosure that served as their backyard. His daughter growled and sat down heavily on the grass next to the chair he had been snoozing in.

"When did you get back?" she asked pulling a few leaves out of one of her pigtails.

"This afternoon," he assured her. "I'll be in town for at least the next two weeks," he added.

"Oh good!" Sakura perked up. "Cause Anko's busy and I want to do more training with genjutsu."

"We'll see," Sanzo answered coyly.

"So why did you go to Sunagakure again?" she asked a bit coyly.

"The Chuunin exam starts soon."

"Boooring," Sakura intoned flopping backwards to lie down.

He noticed that Sakura looked more relaxed than normal considering the guests they were waiting for and decided to head back inside, dragging his daughter with him – literally. Once they had entered the house, Sakura finally stood up and headed towards the stairs as her father added, "Go clean up. My old students are coming for dinner and this time Gai is bringing his students. I thought it would be nice for you to meet some older Genin."

Sakura nodded distractedly and made it halfway up the stairs before stopping dead in her tracks. "WHAT?"

"No complaining. I've told you plenty of times that you are allowed to invite your team when we have these dinners and you don't. I'm going to get you to socialize with people your own age again," her father countered.

"Do you…GAH!" Sakura finally growled stomping the rest of the way up the stairs and nearly stepping on Houkou.

When she appeared in front of her father an hour later he rolled his eyes at her when she pouted pathetically at him. "If it makes you feel any more excited, Genma is going to be here and he is sane enough for you to converse with. And Gai's students can't be as bad him," he offered.

"You've never met them before? How do you know they won't be bad influences?" Sakura asked smirking at him.

"I've seen your 'good' influences Sakura. They can't be as bad as Anko," Sanzo joked.

"I like Anko," Sakura countered before getting up and stomping to the front door when someone rapped rather urgently on it. Her father followed her slowly out of the kitchen trying to hide his smirk. It wouldn't do any good to admit that he had met Gai's students before.

Sakura pouted when she opened the door and found Genma looking down at her in amusement. "Is body armor really necessary for dinner?" he asked curiously.

"Houkou, sick 'em," she whispered. Her dog looked up at Genma curiously before lying back down and snoring slightly. "Traitor," she muttered earning several chuckles from Genma. Sakura's frown deepened but she moved aside letting him enter.

"Ah! Little Haruno-chan, allow me to introduce you to my wonderfully youthful students," Gai started before wavering slightly as Sakura turned to Genma a bit frantically.

"Save me!" she pleaded. "I'll even get you out of dinner so you don't have to eat my dad's cooking," she offered looking up at the older man.

"No can do Pinky," Genma retorted grinning at her as he turned away from her and moved to greet his sensei.

"I'll get you a date with Anko?"

"Why would I want a date with Anko?" Genma asked laughing as he glanced back at the girl.

"Would you prefer Iruka-sensei?"

Genma's laughter grew louder and Sakura pouted as he continued past her to join Sanzo.

"What about one of the men from the mission room? I'm sure I could manage it," Sakura continued pressing.

"Why are you assuming I want men?" Genma asked a bit appalled.

"Well you know that whole oral fixation you have and-"

"Sakura!" her father called out cutting her off.

"Sakura?"

At the sound of a fairly normal and familiar voice, Sakura turned cautiously and immediately brightened when she recognized one of the older girls from the Academy. As part of a deal she had helped Sakura perfect her kunai and shuriken skills. "Tenten!" Sakura finally greeted happily as the girl entered glancing around a bit. "I know!" Sakura suddenly declared turning to face her father. "How about you let me take Tenten for a girls-only night and you all stay here?"

"Would this girls-only night involve pestering Iruka or either of your teammates?" Sanzo asked pulling his daughter out of the way so that Gai's other two students could enter as well.

"No…"

"You're staying Sakura."

"Curses upon you all," Sakura muttered darkly as she led Tenten into the kitchen.

"Maybe she should cut back on spending time with Anko. I think her neuroses are rubbing off on your daughter," Genma chuckled following them.

"You hang out with her too!" Sakura shouted causing Genma to wince at the pitch of her voice.

"No, I keep her in check occasionally."

"She doesn't need that. If you're gonna be a jerk just leave her alone," Sakura responded poking her tongue out.

"She's a pest when she wants to be."

"Just because other people are annoying too."

"Mitarashi Anko?" Gai asked.

"Yeah. You know we tried to convince her to cut your hair for us. You're lucky she considers you and the clone hopeless cases," Genma teased. "She ever get Kakashi back for cutting your hair?" he added, turning to Sakura.

"Why did Hatake Kakashi cut your hair?" Sanzo asked in alarm.

"He told me I was too preoccupied with being girly."

"Oh, my rival has gone too far. To damage this girl's beautiful visage to attack vanity and the beauty of youth-"

"Actually, I like it short," Sakura cut in. "It's out of the way now."

"Why do you think I choose buns?" Tenten whispered. Sakura looked at her curiously and the other girl added, "First weak of practice I spent just a bit too much time stunned by Gai's behavior and they started grabbing it during spars."

Sakura snickered and tugged lightly at her own pigtails. "Yeah, if my teammates tried that I'd probably kill them," she admitted.

"Sakura, you never really answered my question," Sanzo interrupted.

"What question?"

"Hatake."

"What about Kakashi-sensei?"

Sanzo stopped dead in his tracks as Genma snorted and Gai looked over at the girl in surprise. "My rival…passed a team? Aha! He has finally embraced the youthful inclination to pass on his hip principles."

"Yeah…I'm pretty sure he would have failed us if he could have," Sakura muttered. "One of my teammates was injured and the Council wanted him to teach Sasuke so they gave us an autopass."

Genma ignored the tick on Sanzo's forehead as he poked at…whatever it was they were being served for dinner. _Maybe I should have taken Pinky up on her offer_. Instead of complaining, he decided to force a change in topic by turning to Gai's other students. "What's wrong with the two of you? Stunned by the kid's cuteness?"

"But of course they are gentleman and will always defer to the young ladies."

Tenten snorted derisively and quickly covered it up when her long haired teammate looked at her defensively. "Um…Sakura, these two are Rock Lee and Hyuuga Neji," she said realizing that they hadn't been properly introduced.

"Okay," Sakura declared turning politely in their direction. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Lee and his grin widened. "He really is a clone," she muttered turning back to her food. Tenten snickered again causing the rest of her team to look at her oddly. Tenten forcefully ignored them as she turned back to her food.

"So…what does my illustrious rival teach his impressionable young ninja?"

"Umm…stealth. Teamwork. Some jutsu. I like training with Anko more though. OH! Tenten you should totally meet her! I bet she would train with you too! She doesn't use as many weapons but she is learning how to use the tanto from Kakashi-sensei just like the rest of us-"

"I don't think that's necessary," Gai interrupted looking faintly afraid of the idea.

"And really diversity is a good thing. Trust me, that's like the first thing Kakashi-sensei beat into her heads…literally. I ended with a black eye after that happened-"

"I assure you Tenten's training is going quite well already-"

"And personally I think it's only fair that we get to work with more older kunoichi…although don't call her older to her face. She punched Sasuke through a fence once for it," Sakura continued ignoring Neji's interruption.

Genma snickered as Gai looked more and more pained by the idea but he was surprised when it wasn't Gai who finally shut Sakura up. "Sakura. Leave Tenten alone for now. You can convert her to worshipping Anko later," Sanzo cut in rolling his eyes at her. "Now please finish your dinner now. Several other friends will be joining us for desert."

"Is this part of the whole get your daughter to socialize thing?" Sakura bemoaned.

"Of course not. I'm simply fitting in socialization while I'm in town," he answered loftily. Sakura quieted and began eating quietly, occasionally sending glares at her father and Genma when Gai and Lee began exuberantly discussing their insane training regiment. _They're worse than Naruto and Sasuke were when we started training together_, she realized grinning suddenly thinking of her teammates. _Teammates who totally could have gotten me out of this. They will pay!_

Sanzo grimaced as the grin on his daughter's bowed face began to grow more apparent. The devilish smirk had become disturbingly common over the period of her training and he was beginning to understand who was to blame for it. "You know," Sakura interrupted as Gai moved on to explaining his and Kakashi's nearly even competition record. "That's not what he tells me and my teammates."

"Oh!"

"Kaka-sensei is always telling us that he's never lost to you," Sakura continued. "Something about unfashionable uniforms," she muttered to herself.

Gai's eyes burned as he turned to the younger girl. "Students listen well as well, you must not be deceived by my fiendish and hip rival. He is good, but I have the power of youth on my side. I would never disappoint my sensei by losing to such a man," he assured them all valiantly. Tenten grimaced when Sakura's lips twitched to hide her smirk.

"That's what I tried to tell them," Sakura insisted earnestly. "I said 'Uchiha-kun there is no way my father's best student would ever lose to someone like Kakashi-sensei. He's far too cool to lose to someone so tardy."

"Uchiha-kun? He's been telling the number one rookie of your year that he can beat me? Oh, my rival may have outsmarted me this time," Gai muttered to himself.

"I really did try to tell them that Kakashi-sensei was wrong, but they just wouldn't listen. My teammates just aren't very youthful. Anko says they frown too much," Sakura added.

"They are unhappy? My rival is not doing a good job if his students are unhappy and unyouthful all the time," Gai declared. "I must correct this. I must meet your teammates and impart on them the joys of youth!"

"Well…we don't have a mission tomorrow. You could probably meet them then," Sakura offered. "They're always eager to learn."

"Yosh! Tomorrow, my students, we will meet my rival's team and I will show you that my youthful way is the true path of the shinobi," Gai proclaimed jumping out of his chair and striking his signature pose. The rest of dinner was spent with Gai explaining exactly how he would convert the Uchiha heir to his own training regiment while Sakura tried to contain her laughter as she occasionally bemoaned her team's mistreatment of her.

Sanzo ended her fun when there was a knock on the door. "Sakura clean up the table while we greet our guests," he told his giggling daughter as he left the room. Sakura happily stayed behind, eyeing the back door cautiously as she wondered whether or not it would be safe to just sneak over to Iruka's. It was still early enough that Anko, Sasuke, and/or Kakashi could all be there. Her father ruined her plan when he sent one of their guests in to warn, "Forehead, your dad said if you try to sneak out and steal Sasuke-kun's time he'll ground you for a weak from seeing someone named Anko and the rest of you- what did you do to your hair!"

"Pig," Sakura muttered turning around from the sink. She was surprised to find that she was actually happy to see the other girl. "How about instead of yelling you help me sneak out and I'll take you with me?"

"No!" Two male voices shouted from the front room. A moment later they were followed by someone mumbling, "Troublesome," just loud enough for both girls to hear.

"Who's all out there?" Sakura asked curiously, as she continued to take care of the dishes.

"Your dad's students and the other Genin. My dad, Shikamaru and his parents, Akimichi-san and Chouji. And Kiba and Akamaru 'cause they were with Shikamaru and Chouji this afternoon or something," Ino listed.

"Bleh. Too many people," Sakura mumbled before straightening up. _I've been way too isolated with my team if I think this is too many people_, she realized. _No wonder Naruto hates crowds lately_.

"Oh and Asuma-sensei but you wouldn't know him. He was playing Shogi with Shikamaru and his dad or something. He's our sensei. Did you pass? I haven't heard about you ending up back at the academy," Ino continued smirking. "Of course with Sasuke-kun I don't see how you couldn't have passed."

Sakura was saved from answering when Houkou skidded into the room to cower behind her legs. "Too crowded?" Sakura crooned leaning down to pick up the puppy.

"Is that your dog?" Sakura glanced over and nodded to Kiba as he entered the kitchen. "He's albino. You should have a vet take a look at him in case there are any health problems," he added, being pushed the rest of the way into the room as the rest of the Genin including Gai's students filed back into the room.

"Kakashi-sensei already did. Houkou's only a partial albino and so far nothing's shown up."

"You…you named your dog Houkou?" Chouji repeated in disbelief.

"Well technically Sasuke named him," Sakura shrugged.

"So did you pass?" Ino asked again.

"Obviously. Like you said, how could I not with Sasuke on my team."

"An autopass hardly counts as passing. It's nothing but favoritism," Neji stated.

"So who's your other teammate then?" Ino asked.

"Why do you care?" Sakura goaded.

Chouji decided to change the topic, not particularly interested in seeing Ino and Sakura fight to a standstill. "Did you hear Iruka-sensei left the Academy?"

"Umino Iruka?" Tenten asked curiously.

"Yeah. Did he teach the three of you, too?" Kiba asked.

"Not full time but we had classes with him occasionally. He and that white haired teacher were in charge of your year."

"Yeah Mizuki-sensei I haven't heard anything about him either."

"He was fired. And Iruka-sensei still goes back a lot to help with administration he just isn't doing any teaching with the younger students. He's working on a more advanced class for the Hokage," Sakura explained.

"How do you know that?" Ino asked.

"Sasuke and I took the class before we could work with our team. How did you hear he left the academy?"

"Asuma-sensei mentioned that since he isn't teaching they might actually be able to nominate a few rookie teams for the Chuunin exam. Apparently Iruka-sensei tended to speak out against that," Ino explained off hand.

"Well, the Academy was pretty bad. And less than a year of experience really isn't a lot," Sakura reasoned.

"So is your team taking it?" Kiba asked.

"Ha! I think Iruka-sensei and Anko would flip if Kakashi-sensei tried to nominate us," Sakura joked. She paused suddenly looking closely at Ino. "You pester me about my cutting my hair and don't bother to mention those silly earrings?"

"They aren't silly. Asuma-sensei took all three of us as a team bonding activity. At least my sensei enforced a positive change. Yours must be fashion blind," Ino pointed out, indicating Sakura's clothing.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"It's not you. Let's face it, Sasuke probably does all the work on your team. Do you really think dressing like that will impress him?" Ino asked.

"I didn't dress like this to impress anyone? We haven't spoken since we became Genin. Is it that impossible that I might have gotten better? I am more than capable of fighting without relying on my teammates. And Sasuke doesn't do _all_ the work. He does his fair share and we do ours. No wonder Anko works so hard to bring his ego down. If he hears the crap you're saying everyday then he needs a reality check when he's with us," Sakura bit back surprising Ino.

Ino opened her mouth to argue back when Houkou suddenly yipped excitedly and took off towards the door. Sakura sighed and followed the dog walking past her father and his friends, ignoring Genma's snickers. _Apparently the adults found our obsession really funny_, she frowned as she opened the door to let Houkou out. The minute it was open, the puppy bound out and eagerly attacked their new guest.

"Sakura. Get the mutt off me," Sasuke growled, poking at the dog that had knocked him over.

"Houkou get off SASUKE," Sakura ordered, raising her voice so that Ino and the others in the kitchen would be able to hear. Houkou complied and moved out of the way just in time for Ino to shove her way out of the house and glomp onto Sasuke's arm just as he rose to his feet.

"Hellooooo, Sasuke-kun!" she crooned eagerly.

Sasuke glanced at the girl from the corner of his eye before glaring at Sakura as she smiled serenely. "This is the last time I deliver a message to you," he muttered disparagingly.

"The faster you deliver it the faster we can leave," Sakura reasoned.

"We?" Ino asked. "Haruno-san! Sakura's planning on taking off," she shouted spitefully.

"You leave with Sasuke and it isn't an emergency then you're grounded," her father shouted out to her.

"Isn't preserving my dignity an emergency?" Sakura shouted back.

"NO."

Sakura frowned at her father's answer and glared when she noticed Sasuke smirking at her. "You wouldn't look so smug if Iruka, Anko, or Kakashi were saying the same to you," she bit back making sure not to mention his own parents.

"The Council finally decided they wanted to speak with us. We're supposed to meet in the mission room tomorrow morning and then they'll call for us when they have a spare moment," he explained.

"So we're just sitting around until they decide to put up with us?" Sakura clarified with a pout.

"Unless you and…unless we can annoy the mission room staff to the point that they kick us out, yeah," Sasuke answered, leaving out Naruto's name when he remembered that the weight on his arm was Ino and not the normal weight of Naruto or Anko.

"Sasuke, Ino was making fun of us," Sakura stated.

"Why?"

"She said we don't do anything. That you do everything on our team. And she called Iruka-sensei and Anko fashion blind," Sakura pouted.

"Then Ino should stop talking about things she doesn't understand. She should also get off my arm," Sasuke replied coolly.

Ino quickly unwound her arms from his and moved back next to Sakura. "See you tomorrow, Sasuke-kun," Sakura waved before adding, "Are you going back to Iruka's tonight or are you going home?"

"Iruka's," Sasuke answered with a wave.

"Why is he going to Iruka's?" Ino asked curiously as Sakura headed back into the house.

"He stays there when he doesn't feel like staying at his house. It's too big and empty, plus it's a lot of work to keep it clean. Since our last mission lasted like a month, he hasn't felt like trying to get it back into shape so he's stayed with our teammate a lot," Sakura answered.

"He's what thirteen now?" a dark haired man with a cigarette asked.

"Um…no not for another month," Sakura answered.

"So how's his Sharingan coming along then? Most Uchiha have it by puberty," the man asked.

"Kakashi-sensei doesn't thing he's going to develop it. They think his brother messed it up or something," Sakura claimed.The man's cigarette fell out of his mouth and a number of the other adults, including her father, turned to gape at her. "What?"

"He doesn't have the Sharingan?" Ino's father clarified.

"Well it hasn't developed. And according to Kakashi-sensei, it really should have by now considering Sasuke's combat experience. He has the chakra and control to support it so they can't figure out why else it wouldn't be activating. Sasuke doesn't like to talk about it though," Sakura explained nonchalantly, trying to hide her grin when most of the adults bought the excuse. _Anko will be pleased. She's the one who came up with the crap about his older brother_, she remembered.

"Still think I have no fashion sense after seeing Sasuke?" Sakura asked, changing the topic and heading back into the kitchen where most of their friends had sat.

"I think someone crazy got a hold of your team and I can't understand why you would want to wear that," Ino bit back, sitting next to her teammates.

"What was Sasuke wearing?" Chouji asked curiously.

"A coat that was way too large. And what was with his hair?"

"His hair has always looked like that," Sakura pointed out.

"No it hasn't," Ino insisted.

"Yes it has, I'll prove it," Sakura shot back walking out of the room.

The minute she was gone Ino turned to the other Genin in the room. "Who is their teammate?"

"She didn't say his name during dinner," Tenten told her.

"I still say it's Naruto," Chouji added.

"Neh, he didn't pass the exam remember. I bet it's someone who lost their team," Kiba added.

"She did say one of her teammates was injured when they were assigned together," Tenten offered.

"This is so frustrating. I bet we won't get to find out since she said they weren't going to be in the Chuunin Exam," Ino pouted.

"Stop acting like a baby. My teammate wouldn't want to meet you either," Sakura stated walking back in with large picture. "Here, this was only taken about eight months ago."

Ino stared at the picture, namely Sasuke. Tenten was more impressed with the change between the Sakura in the picture and the one standing in front of her now. "Your clothes were picked to make you look older, weren't they," she said looking up at Sakura.

"Our sensei wanted us to look more professional on missions. This is what people expect of non-uniformed shinobi. And Sasuke doesn't look that different. The colors are almost identical and so is the general shape. He just wears the coat now because we've been traveling more."

"Did Uchiha actually agree to getting dressed up?" Kiba laughed.

"Of course not. He whined the entire day. He was really set in his ways. I mean really. He had so much trouble getting over being jealous of our teammate because all of sudden here was someone who had as much raw talent as him but that he never in a million years would have pegged as an actual rival. Kakashi-sensei tried to talk him through it, but really I think Anko was more successful because she was more forward about his issues," Sakura admitted.

"Sasuke-kun does not whine," Ino insisted.

"Yes he does. He pouts too. We're still trying to see if he can laugh but we think his sense of humor has been permanently removed."

"What the heck Forehead? How can you say this stuff about him?"

"Because I've had to work with him daily for what…almost six months now. I was stuck on an island with him for two of those and we both acted so stupidly we almost ruined our chances of ever working with our teammate. Sasuke's just a messed up adolescent boy. He's be a lot better off if people would stop padding his ego."

Kiba burst out laughing a moment later and was quickly followed by several of the men in the next room. "Have you ever said that to his face?" Genma shouted in to her.

"No but Anko has. She trained him for a week and supposedly got so fed up with him on day one that his assignment was learning how to get along people," Sakura told him.

"And how did her training with your other teammate go?" Genma asked.

"Don't know. Kakashi-sensei and Anko won't tell us what he actually learned," Sakura lied. "Ooooh, but Kakashi-sensei is teaching all four of us to use the tanto!"

"He…he's actually passing that on?" Asuma called out.

"Yeah. He started teaching us while we were in Wave Country."

"You got to go on a mission outside of Fire Country?" Kiba asked jealously.

"Your other teammate must be advanced to be leading you on such missions," Lee added. "Even we have not traveled outside Fire Country."

"Really? I mean I'm technically team leader and my teammates are my age. Although, I think we only got to go to Wave Country because Anko went with us," Sakura suggested.

"How the heck are you team leader instead of Sasuke?" Ino asked.

"Weren't you listening. His ego is too padded," Kiba sneered.

"That's not fair," Sakura countered. "He's gotten a lot better. I'm team leader because I think ahead more than…well at least Sasuke, my teammate tends to surprise us sometimes. Anyways, I'm best off for it."

"It's a bit hypocritical to go from insulting him to telling someone else they can't," Tenten pointed out.

"I wasn't insulting him. I was stating a fact. Kiba was insulting him because he doesn't like Sasuke from the Academy. He's lucky he's dealing with me if he tried to pull that line in front of my team he probably would have lost a couple of teeth – or worse if they aren't in a violent mood."

"What an unyouthful reaction!" Lee declared. "They certainly must meet with Gai-sensei's influence soon!"

_Tomorrow can't come sooner_, Sakura grinned to herself as she tuned out their guests. _I'm just not as cut out for this as I used to be_.

* * *

**Agent's Spiel**: Umm…wow, no Naruto once again. I really hope the Sasuke teasing in this one made up for it a _little_ bit otherwise I hope the next one will. This is totally not how I intended this part of the chapter to go. Bleh.

**Covering my ass: **I've hinted at this before but in this story (completely non-canon) Sakura's father taught a genin team that included Maito Gai and Shiranui Genma. They had a third teammate but I won't reveal that person yet.

Gai's out of character. Like way too stupid. It's just too much fun to portray him this way right now but he will get better. Plus, I think he's just humoring Sakura to an extent. In fact, I'm pretty positive that that's exactly what he was doing. Also, he has nothing against Anko he's just terrified up putting TenTen with her – the girl is already crazy over weapons.

Lastly, Sakura's goading of Genma was a joke. I don't like having to defend myself for something I find so normal but at the slightest hint of slash I tend to get a lot of angry emails. If you send me one anyways you're getting a copy of this message and you won't be thanked for your review because I am that annoyed by this.

Thanks to my reviewers (If I remember correctly I was bad as usual when it came to getting back to people so just know that I appreciate all reviews I get):

_Wuming, greatstars, Khellan Rafe, Frathworth and Butts, Cheska, Kalisko, Azamiko, mangalover248, RobotPirateNinja, Kage Husha, DarkRavie, shyalchemist, AznPuffyHair, Lord-Scruffy, KunoichiDreamer, Ellenlome, myinuyasha04, Hebi R., Uchiki na Kage, dramil, Sprig, Bobboky, Blood Zephyr, X-PANIC, Fhulhi the Crazy, Marz1, Nightcrawler2000, Jerrac, BooksAreLife, Kalisko, show.me.the.stars, someone179, Shimo Ino, MelissaKS, Gabwr, Red Jeanie, StoryTagger, Pawz4thought, stormseaker, atlantis-rob, Wander, Vilkath, myinuyasha04._

So I haven't really mentioned clothing since chapter 7 (Beating). Would you guys like a bit more description of their clothing over the next few chapters? If I could draw I'd try to come up with a character sketch or something but that isn't likely to happen so the best I can offer is a more detailed explanation but I don't want to throw it in if people will get bored by it. I also haven't gone into great description for canon characters mainly because I expect their appearances to be known already. If you would like me to put in more detail just mention it and I'll try to fit it in.


	15. Dogs II

**Agent's Spiel:** A bit early this month but I'm not sure if I'll be around much tomorrow so I figured you guys deserved it early rather than late.

Part 2 of Chapter 9. Part 3 will be up next month. Sorry the chapters have been so cut up lately and that updating is taking so long (even if it is at least regular). I'd like to update more often but I'm looking for a job at the moment and so I'm trying to be a bit conservative with posts until I've at least finished Part I of the story (There's three parts). If I can finish writing part one then I'll increase the posting of it and then just take a short break before I start posting Part II.

**There's a fairly long note at the bottom (after review responses) but I'd really appreciate it if you could take a moment to read it as I think it clears a few things up. There's a ummm… 'treat' at the bottom to make it up to you.**

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course, it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Dogs**

"You're getting on with your teammates? Including the Haruno girl? I know you weren't friends with either of them at the Academy," the Hokage inquired curiously.

"They're fine," Sasuke muttered.

"Friends?" The Hokage grinned when Sasuke grumbled his response inaudibly. "You must forgive this old man for poor hearing. I couldn't quite make out what you said."

"I said 'I guess'."

"You guess?"

"Sakura and I are fine. She's not annoying anymore."

"And Naruto?" the Sandaime asked quietly, glancing across the nearly empty room where Naruto was conversing with Anko and Iruka.

"He's fine. I don't think he really likes us yet."

"Is that so?"

"He still won't talk to us about a lot of …things. Especially himself. So he doesn't trust us yet."

"I see. Well, like you his trust was betrayed by someone he respected. It will take some time for him to get over it. Though he has come quite far with your help. I hope he can return the favor in some way."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, just an old man's rambling. Kakashi mentioned that you've been staying with Iruka and Naruto…something about a leaky ceiling?"

Sasuke looked fairly startled at the excuse and was about to open his mouth when Iruka called to him from across the room, "Sasuke, you did speak with Sakura yesterday, right?"

"Yeah but her father's in town so she might have gotten held up this morning," Sasuke offered, ignoring the wry grin on the Hokage's face.

"Why don't you go join your team? I just wanted to check up on you again," the old man told him, patting him on the shoulder.

'Why are you so annoyed?' Naruto asked the moment Sasuke joined them.

Sasuke was fairly surprised at how quickly Naruto picked up on his emotions. "It's nothing."

"What'd Kakashi do this time?" Anko asked gaining an equally surprised reaction.

_Those two…_ "He told the Hokage I was staying at Iruka-sensei's because of a leaky ceiling," Sasuke answered a bit reluctantly.

"At least he hasn't offered to burn it down yet," Iruka countered.

'Twice,' Naruto signed.

"He offered twice?" Anko asked giggling.

"Sounds just like him. You really should have seen the fire when he burned down his house. No one could figure out how he did it, but he kept it going for two days," Iruka told them.

"So did you meet Haruno-san?" Anko asked curiously.

"Umm…no. He called out and told Sakura that she'd be grounded from training if she left to come visit us last night though. They had company," Sasuke explained.

"Must have been his students. You'd know Genma at least," Iruka stated.

"Sakura had her friends over too. I saw Ino," Sasuke added."

"Ino…is that the Yamanaka girl?" Anko asked.

"Yeah. She was making fun of our clothes."

"That little brat. I hope she takes part in this exam. I'll scare the crap out of her," Anko muttered darkly as she focused on straightening Naruto's jacket for no reason.

"It probably doesn't help that the three of you have become so comfortable in your mission gear that you rarely wear something else," Iruka commented as Anko moved from Naruto's jacket to poking at his cheeks to annoy him.

"Iruka-san, it's opening time," Kotetsu commented walking by towards the door.

"Ah. You three should move out of the way for now," Iruka told them, moving behind the desk as Anko moved the two Genin towards a bench along the wall.

"Are you staying with us all day?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"Probably. I have a short meeting this afternoon about the Chuunin Exam but other than that I don't have anything else going on. I'll hang about until Kakashi gets sick of me."

"Why do you have to meet with them?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm an examiner. Ibiki asked me to. The old softy, I knew he liked me," Anko grinned.

"I think you're the only one who could chance saying something like that."

"What are you doing here Genma?" Anko muttered as she began toying with Naruto's hood again. Naruto swatted at her hand and looked up at her in confusion. Anko grinned apologetically and looked back to Genma expectantly.

"Just hangin' around. I don't have anything to do today. By the way Uchiha, thanks for the amusing interruption last night. Sanzo appreciated hearing that his daughter was finally over her crush so he didn't have to hate you for seducing his baby daughter."

"Seduce…are you joking?" Sasuke asked in disbelief.

"Nope. It is the belief of all fathers that when their daughter becomes that enamored it is the boy's fault; therefore, they are within their rights to hate said boy," Genma explained, ignoring the suspicious shaking of Naruto's shoulder. "As for you blondie…you're gonna cause a lot of trouble when-"

"Stuff it Genma," Anko interrupted.

"Morning!"

"Morning Haruno-chan," Genma greeted. "Where's Gai?"

Sakura shuddered and looked around quickly. "Looks like he isn't as punctual as he claims to be," Sakura commented.

"Why's he coming here?" Anko asked curling her lip slightly.

"I don't know," Sakura shrugged innocently.

By the time Kakashi arrived to meet with his students three hours later, Gai had definitely made his presence known. His students – who hadn't been allowed near Team 7 or Anko for fear they would contract their unhappiness or insanity – and a number of other interested Jounin were waiting impatiently. Even more impatient were Iruka and the other Chuunin on duty but the Hokage had calmed them down before leaving and they had managed to finish at least some of their work despite the overcrowding.

"Yo sorry I'm late…wait, why is it so crowded?" Kakashi asked in confusion cutting off his cleverly planned excuse. _It was a really good one today, too. All about pirate ninja monkeys…they probably wouldn't have bought it anyways._

"Kakashi my rival you have long eluded me while spending time with Haruno-chan and your other unyouthful students. I have observed them as they waited for you and they are most assuredly lacking in spirit-"

Kakashi blocked out the rest of Gai's ranting as he turned back to his students trying to suppress the growing tick on his forehead. "So why is it so crowded again?" he asked Sasuke, resisting the urge to glare at Sakura – she was looking far too serene to not be at fault.

"Something about you and a rival. I ignored most of it," Sasuke shrugged. "At least we didn't have to hear about the pirate ninja monkeys today," he added.

"Wait, have I used that one before?" Kakashi asked gaining nods from all three of his students.

_One day those monkeys are gonna come back and bite him_.Naruto glanced around warily before signing, 'There's a weird green thing on your back Pervert.'

"Yes I've learned to ignore it over the years, you will too," Kakashi assured him patting the hood on his head. "So Haruno-chan, since you got us into this mess, how are you gonna get us out of it?"

'Pinky set that thing on us?'

"Yes she did."

Sakura scowled as Naruto turned to look at her questioningly. Her plan was not working so she decided that goading Gai on would work best. "You know Gai-sensei, I was talking with my teammates this morning and they simply couldn't understand the appeal of the fashionable and youthful green spandex suit, perhaps you could explain it to them," she said, turning away from her sensei to look innocently up at Gai. She noticed Iruka staring at her in shock from the front of the room but ignored it and focused on the many other Jounin laughing hysterically.

"Sakura you keep this up and I'll leave you here to deal with him," Kakashi hissed.

"Oh! How can one not understand the power of the youthful jumpsuit? It enhances one's physique-"

"Kaka-sensei, I'm going to be ill," Sasuke muttered, looking as if he was about to lose the hefty breakfast Iruka had fed to him and Naruto. The blond seemed to be in a similar state and was edging away from his team and towards Anko looking at her with pleading eyes.

Kakashi reached forward and grabbed Naruto's arm, pulling him closer and holding up a hand before the boy could explain. "If you move too much you'll just call attention to yourself, trust me on this," he whispered.

"Gai-sensei, did I tell you about the time he offered to let them read his little orange book?"

Sakura's statement caused the majority of the room's inhabitants to freeze. Anko cringed and prepared to rescue Naruto and Sasuke from Gai's grasp but she was too late. The man reached past Kakashi and swept the two boys into a hug as dramatic tears spilled down his cheeks. Naruto and Sasuke had both gone pale and Kakashi had frozen in place as he saw Gai hugging the two. "How could my youthful rival have gone so far as to attempt to corrupt such wonderful adolescence by sharing with them those most horrid depravities?" Gai bemoaned for the two. He was too late in interpreting the glance they exchanged and before he knew what had happened, the two boys had each taken hold of an arm and he found himself laid out on his stomach with his arms pinned painfully behind him.

"Kaka-sensei," Sasuke growled warningly. He didn't need to continue as Kakashi moved quickly to grab the two before disappearing from the room.

"You let them get away?" Sakura deadpanned looking down at Gai in disappointment. "Bang up job you did in proving your youthfulness."

"Gai-sensei!" Lee wailed coming out of his shocked trance and rushing over to Gai.

"I'm okay my cute Lee-kun. Though it is obvious that my rival has not neglected their training as much as I had feared, they are still not up to your level," Gai assured him standing up.

"Pinky, I sure as hell don't envy what you'll eventually face from your teammates," Anko snickered grinning at the younger girl.

"I was hoping for some revenge but someone didn't exactly live up to his reputation," Sakura mumbled in response.

"Which is why you should never base your plans around an unwitting accomplice," her father chuckled stepping into the room.

"You also shouldn't lie to get Kakashi in trouble. It would have been easier to set Gai off if you admitted that I was the one who offered to let you read the book and Kakashi was the one who's made you share a room with your teammates during your missions. Gai is stickler for 'preserving youthfulness'," Anko giggled.

Gai gaped at the woman and even Sanzo looked a bit appalled by her admission. "Anko, would you mind taking Sakura to wherever Kakashi decided to escape to and make sure that they're still around where the Council can find them?" Iruka called over before either of the other men could speak up.

"Sure thing," Anko called back wrapping an arm around Sakura's shoulders and pulling the giggling girl out of the room.

"Ah! Haruno-chan my students will accompany you as well to make up for my egregious advances! I will not be able to for I have a meeting to attend shortly," Gai shouted after her sending his students hurrying to the door – except Neji who walked with as much dignity as possible after his sensei's embarrassment.

**XXXXXX**

**XXXXXX**

Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke reappeared just outside of the Hokage's office much to the surprise of the two office workers who had been approaching with stacks of paperwork and scrolls. "Kakashi-san," Izumo growled as he dropped his armload.

Kakashi shrugged in response and was getting ready to lead his students out of the tower when the door to the Hokage's office opened. "Hatake? We didn't send for them yet," an elderly man stated, nodding towards the two Genin.

"Ah. The mission room was getting a bit crowded so I decided to leave," Kakashi said. "We weren't actually coming to interrupt."

The elderly man nodded and then tried to hide a wry smile on his face when the sounds of childish shrieks began to fill the hallway. Sasuke and Naruto watched in interest as the Hokage approached with a screaming imp dragging behind his robes. "Hokage-dono, young master Konohamaru," the elder greeted.

"Homura. Kakashi, boys," the Hokage greeted in return. The boy on his heels continued to screech at him unintelligibly though Naruto was fairly certain he heard something about a challenge.

"The Council has been gathered and unfortunately we do have quite a bit to cover before the nominations are undertaken this afternoon," Homura stated a bit apologetically.

"Of course. Kakashi I have a mission for these two," the Hokage said bending down and plucking the boy from his leg while pulling a few small books out of his robes. Naruto, Sasuke, and the younger boy each recognized them immediately. "I'll give them these if they keep Konohamaru busy for the rest of the afternoon. We'll delay the meeting with your team until this evening if they accept."

Naruto and Sasuke looked at the comic books once and then at each other before Naruto reached forward and snatched the books at the same time that Sasuke grabbed the back of Konohamaru's shirt, pulling the younger boy down the hall while Naruto followed along. "I hear they met Gai this afternoon. How did that go?" the Hokage chuckled as Kakashi moved to follow as well.

"I think they're allergic to green," Kakashi answered.

"Hatake, please remember that you are expected at the nominations this afternoon," Homura added as Kakashi disappeared with a wave.

Kakashi stealthily caught up with Naruto and Sasuke outside the tower and stayed hidden as Sasuke set the now silent Konohamaru back on his own feet. "Here are the rules, kid: we don't wanna hear you scream – we get enough of that from our teammate. And no running to your grandpa – we don't care if it's the Hokage, it's not gonna make us any nicer to you," Sasuke stated. Naruto signed quickly to him and Sasuke nodded adding, "Since he can't talk, you'll have to deal with a lack of conversation because I'm not wasting my brainpower on someone like you. Other than that, you tell us what you want to do and maybe we'll do it."

Konohamaru blinked up at the two Genin for a moment in shock. "I have to introduce you to my friends," he finally said in complete awe.

"Well this should make the Hokage happy. The brat found someone new to pester for a while," Kakashi muttered walking towards the two. "Well, you all have fun. If you can keep an eye out for Sakura and I'll find you later this afternoon," Kakashi told them before walking off with a wave.

"So where to?" Sasuke asked after being poked into action for the fifth time by Naruto.

"I wanna get my friends so they can meet you," Konohamaru stated, leading them away from the complex.

Two hours later, Sasuke was busy pretending listen in as Konohamaru explained why he just _had_ to beat his grandfather and prove that he wasn't simply the Hokage's grandson – which made absolutely no sense to Sasuke. _Why wouldn't you __**want**__ to be seen as the Hokage's grandson_? He was mainly focusing his attention on trying to find Sakura as quickly as possible so that they could give Konohamaru's friend Moegi a female to focus on as quickly as possible. If what Iruka had said about Sakura's father was true he did not want to stir up trouble with someone half their age and the starry eyes she was shooting between Naruto and Sasuke was becoming unnerving.

"Tell you what," Sasuke finally said, derailing the younger boy's rant as he pulled all three academy students to a halt. "You three help us find our teammate and we'll treat you to lunch," he offered.

"Anything we want?" Konohamaru asked.

"As long as that anything is either ramen or barbeque. We're not made of money you know," Sasuke retorted. _And since Kakashi seems to have decided not to pay us for our mission work we have even less than most Genin_, he thought in annoyance.

"Sure thing," Konohamaru answered. "So what does your teammate look like? Is he as cool as you two?"

"She has pink hair and is wearing a jacket that looks like ours but it's red," Sasuke answered, pointing at the dark blue coat he was wearing and the blue and orange one Naruto was wearing. Anko had bought them for the trio after their most recent mission because she felt Naruto deserved more orange clothing.

"Pink?" Konohamaru asked, staring at them in disbelief.

"You heard me," Sasuke answered.

"Come on Konohamaru-chan! It'll be easy to find her then. We'll do it real fast!" Moegi declared happily. Without another word, the three shot off down the street leaving Naruto and Sasuke to trail behind.

Sasuke was about to turn the corner to follow the trio when he felt several sharp pulses against his wrist. He turned to look at Naruto just as the blond reached forward to grab his shoulder. 'Foreign chakra,' Naruto signed nervously.

Sasuke blinked at him in confusion. "Like what?" he finally asked.

'Weak, but weird. There's something about one of them. Just weird,' Naruto explained as best he could.

Sasuke shrugged but activated his sharingan behind his contacts. If Naruto thought the chakra felt weird then it was probably something to be concerned about. Leading the way, he wasn't surprised to see Konohamaru half way down the street in the grip of an older foreign ninja. _Sunagakure_.

The scuffle had apparently caught some attention as Sasuke could see Sakura with the Genin team from earlier that morning warily watching from the other end of the street. Sakura's eyes widened in recognition when Sasuke came into sight. Naruto appeared a moment later but he had turned his jacket inside out so that only gray was showing, and he had pulled up his hood. 'We can't leave him,' Naruto signed subtly, gaining a reluctant nod from Sasuke.

"Right, well you won't be of much help since we shouldn't fight them until we know why they're here and that requires talking. Just stand there, maybe move his other friends out of the way or something," Sasuke muttered as they walked forward. The slight rasp coming from Naruto made him scowl when he realized it was laughter. "Hey, put the kid down. He's in our care today so if he gave you trouble we'll take care of him."

Moegi and Konohamaru's other friend, Udon, turned eagerly and looked between the two Genin and their captive friend.

"I don't like shrimps and this bratty one ran into me," the tallest foreign ninja stated. The girl with him looked like she really didn't want to be involved, although she perked up curiously at the two Genin.

"Too bad. We don't even know what you're doing in our village, but you couldn't have come here to pick fights with kids. Hand him over."

"Already trying to look cool Uchiha?" Sasuke heard someone shout. He was tempted to retort but Naruto had stilled uncomfortably and he just wanted to end this situation as quickly as possible. The two Suna ninja seemed to have recognized the name and came to the same conclusion.

"We're not here for trouble. Just the Chuunin exam," the girl stated defensively. "We're allies," she added pointing to her forehead protector.

"Fine, you wanna deal the kid then deal with 'im," the teen stated dropping Konohamaru onto the ground.

Sasuke walked forward, followed by Naruto, and grabbed Konohamaru by the back of the shirt before setting him on his feet. Naruto pushed the boy's friends past Sasuke and down the street as they kept sending frightened glances at the two foreign ninja.

"Apologize," Sasuke stated looking down at Konohamaru.

The younger boy gaped up at him and even the two foreign ninja looked surprised by the demand. When Konohamaru realized that he wouldn't be allowed to join his friends until he apologized, he looked up with a scowl and grumbled, "I'm sorry I ran into you. I wasn't watching where I was going."

Sasuke nodded and moved away leading Konohamaru towards his waiting friends. Sakura sighed in relief when Sasuke joined them and turned away from the curious Academy students and towards the two new Genin. "The Chuunin exam doesn't start for almost a week. The examiners will be really ticked off if they have to break up a lot of fights ahead of time so please try to be bit more careful," she told the two.

"Shut up."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise but she noticed that Naruto's eyes were already glued to the red haired figure sitting in a tree above the two Suna nins. "Hey, Gaara, there's really no problem here," the kunoichi said raising her hands a bit defensively in front of herself.

"I'll kill you," the red head, Gaara, added not moving from the tree.

Sakura relaxed a bit when she realized that the boy hadn't been talking to her but she was still a bit alarmed by his tone. She opened his mouth to speak up when Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. 'Bad idea,' he signed to her trying to pull her out of the sight of the Suna nins.

She realized that he had already sent Sasuke on his way with the three children they had with them and decided not to argue while Naruto seemed on edge. Even Gai's students followed with her as Naruto pulled her onto the next street. _Hopefully Kiba's team left already since I'm positive he was the one who yelled at Sasuke_, she sneered a bit.

Sasuke was waiting for them around the corner and the three shaken up children looked relieved when they appeared. The little red haired girl immediately latched onto Naruto's arm and looked up at Sakura. "Are you their teammate? We were looking for you when Konohamaru-chan ran into that boy," she explained.

"That's good. I was looking for them too," Sakura assured her. "Where are we headed now?"

"We promised them lunch," Sasuke explained. "You're the three from this morning, right?" he added looking at Neji, Lee, and TenTen.

"Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, and this is TenTen. She's the one I told you about who helped me out at the academy," Sakura explained. "Gai-sensei had a meeting or something so they were free for the afternoon."

"I know you're Uchiha Sasuke. I heard your name last night," TenTen explained politely. "I didn't catch your name," she added apologetically turning towards Naruto.

Naruto waved her off and then nodded to Sakura even though she noticed that he didn't remove his hood. "This is Naruto, our teammate. Who are these three?" Sakura asked pointing towards the children.

"I'm Sarutobi Konohamaru. This Udon and Moegi. My grandpa sent me with them because I was annoying him."

"Oh! You are the honorable grandson of our most revered Hokage. What a lucky child indeed!" Lee proclaimed.

Konohamaru began muttering disparaging remarks as Sasuke cracked a small smirk. "So where to?" he asked glancing at Udon since he seemed to be the only sane child in the group.

"Barbeque?" Udon asked.

"Sounds good. We haven't been since we made Genma and the others took us last week," Sakura added.

Naruto pouted and signed, 'Ramen.'

"No. They don't have enough seats at Ichiraku and I'm not eating at any of the other ramen places. We'll make Kakashi-sensei take us later," Sakura told him gaining another spectacular pout from the blond. His expression did a one eighty a moment later and he pushed the little red head behind him at the same time as he reached forward and pulled TenTen to a halt.

"Who are you?"

The sudden voice and appearance of the red head from before startled Sakura and it took her a moment to come out of her stupor. "Isn't it proper to introduce yourself first?" Sasuke spoke up.

"Sabaku no Gaara. Who are you two?"

"Which two?" Neji spoke up.

Gaara raised his hand and pointed at Naruto and Sasuke.

"Don't worry about us. If you're here for the Chuunin exam, we won't be your opponents. They probably will be though," Sakura spoke up waving towards Gai's students.

"That wasn't what I asked."

"Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto, but don't worry about us," Sasuke answered after Naruto had nodded. "Let's get out of here. Just make sure your teammates don't cause any more trouble. The Hokage won't appreciate their behavior if we were to take the news back to him."

"My apologies for their behavior then," Gaara stated disappearing in a whirlwind of sand.

"What a weird guy," TenTen spoke up as they nudged the three children forward.

"I thought that friend of yours said someone named Naruto didn't pass the Genin exam? Am I supposed to believe that you weren't who they were talking about?" Neji asked as they began moving towards the restaurant.

"It's a complicated situation. Mizuki-sensei failed him so when Mizuki was fired Naruto was given a different examination which he passed," Sakura explained.

"Why not just tell your friends that instead of not saying anything?" TenTen asked in confusion.

"It just isn't important enough to get into. They wouldn't believe me anyways, not after I admitted half of what I did about their abilities," Sakura explained.

"Exactly what were you telling them?" Sasuke asked suspiciously, gaining stifled giggles from TenTen.

"You mean aside from quite a bit about your ego?" Sakura asked sweetly.

"So what is training like under Hatake Kakashi?" TenTen asked. "We've heard plenty about him from Gai-sensei. The man sounds legendary."

'Legendary idiot,' Naruto signed to Sasuke.

"That's one way of describing him," Sasuke agreed.

"Be nice. Even that Zabuza guy recognized his name and Anko said he was a bigwig so Kakashi-sensei is obviously more capable than he lets on most of the time," Sakura spoke up.

"Do you guys train a lot?" Moegi asked curiously.

"Of course. That's pretty much all we do unless we can convince Kakashi and the Hokage to let us out on missions. We've done two so far," Sakura explained.

'Ten.'

"What?" Sakura asked when she caught sight of Naruto's signs.

"We think we're at ten. Kakashi just didn't bother to tell us they were missions. The first one was that day at the river when he had us catch fish," Sasuke explained.

"Those stupid tasks? He was slipping us D rank missions?" Sakura asked in disbelief. "Wait, how did the two of you figure this out before me? Did Anko say something?"

"Iruka did. The Hokage mentioned something about our wages after you left yesterday and when we didn't have a clue what he was talking about Iruka had to step in and admit that Kakashi was up to something. He wouldn't tell us what, just that we'd get them all back at some point."

"Is this some type of revenge for spending his money on our uniforms because if so he needs to be reminded that that was his fault. He sent those two in and they burned all of our stuff," Sakura spoke up.

"Your sensei burned your clothing?" TenTen asked suddenly relieved that she had landed herself with someone so comparably sane.

"Kakashi didn't burn them. He just sent someone in who didn't listen to him properly and they burned our things," Sasuke explained.

"Still what was so wrong with what you were wearing?" TenTen asked.

"But I like what they're wearing now. They look cool," Konohamaru pointed out.

"How do you know they didn't look cool before?" TenTen asked, glancing back at Lee to make sure he was still there. She was used to silence from Neji but Lee had hardly spoken since Konohamaru had blown him off and then Gaara had shown up.

"Don't care what they looked like even if it was cool," Konohamaru shrugged brattily.

"Young Master you should take more care. Do not be deceived by youthful looks as they frequently hide unyouthful attitudes," Lee spoke sagely.

_Is he looking at Naruto?_ TenTen frowned.

"Neh, neh, Naruto nii-san. When did you change your jacket?" Moegi asked suddenly. Naruto shook his head and unzipped his jacket part way to show her the colored side that he had hidden. "What'd you change it for?"

Naruto sighed and looked up to Sakura for help but she couldn't do much but giggle at him. "Don't worry about it," Sasuke spoke up.

"So why aren't the three of you taking the exam?" TenTen decided to ask, changing the topic. "I know last night you mentioned those two other teachers or whatever but isn't still Hatake-san's decision?"

"Yeah but it's also the Hokage's decision. We've only been Genin for six months and because of the auto pass I'm pretty sure we have to go through a different exam or something," Sakura explained.

"What's an auto pass?" Konohamaru asked.

"After you pass your Academy examination you take a second exam hosted by your Jounin instructor. If you fail that, you go back to the Academy. The auto pass means that they did not have to take this second exam," Neji spoke up.

"Wow! You guys are that good?" Moegi asked.

"Not quite. I mean we're getting there but the real reason was that at the time the Hokage was pretty sure we wouldn't be able to pass the exam and he really wanted us to work with this Jounin because they really wanted him to take students. Naruto had just gotten hurt and we didn't really like each other in the first place so the Hokage had us passed anyways," Sakura explained.

"Oooh…but back there you kicked ass," Konohamaru stated.

"We didn't do anything," Sasuke pointed out.

"But they listened to you. And you would have…right?" Konohamaru asked suspiciously.

"Neh, probably would have let him pummel you. Would have served you right for not watching where you were going. It's what would have happened to any other kid," Sasuke declared as Naruto snickered.

"Uchiha-kun you must not speak this way to this impressionable youth! He is the honorable grandson of our Hokage it would have been very bad if you had not interfered with that ninja's devious intentions," Lee spoke up.

"What intentions? He would have just smacked the kid around a bit. If he wants to be a ninja and can't handle that then he should do something else," Sasuke argued back.

"I could'a taken anything he dished out," Konohamaru puffed bravely.

"Care to test that after lunch?" Sakura asked channeling Anko into her leer.

"Yeah!" Konohamaru shouted back eagerly.

"Well then, let's hurry up and eat," Sakura grinned leading the way into the restaurant. She frowned when she noticed Naruto fidgeting with his hood so that it hid more of his face.

The group's lunch proceeded without any more trouble or interruptions and the nine soon found themselves on Team 7's regular training field. "So have the three of you started at the Academy yet?" Sakura asked.

"Yep! But just this year," Moegi explained.

"Who's your teacher?" TenTen asked.

"Kaemon-sensei and Suzume-sensei," Konohamaru explained.

"Hey, Neji-san? Are you related to Hanabi-chan? She's in our class too! Is she your sister?" Moegi asked eagerly.

"I work with Ebisu-sensei too. He's only my teacher though," Konohamaru added while Neji pretended to ignore Moegi's question.

"So what do you wanna do? Do you wanna practice something you're learning?" Sakura asked.

"Can you show us how to work with kunai and shuriken? They won't let us practice them yet?" Konohamaru asked.

"Eheheh, they uh, they won't let you use them yet? Maybe we should wait, I'm not sure we want you – or us – to get hurt," TenTen spoke up a bit nervously.

"We'll be reeeaaallly careful," Moegi promised.

"Hmm, we should probably at least use the blunt stuff they have at the Academy," Sakura spoke up supporting TenTen.

"But…there's no one there today," Moegi told them.

"Yeah, pity no one here is say…a ninja. Trained in stealth," Sasuke deadpanned at the trio's lack of creativity.

"We…we can sneak into the academy?" Moegi asked to clarify.

"Why not? It would be kinda fun. And then we could just use the practice fields there, less chance that anyone would bother us," TenTen rationalized.

"But TenTen we cannot steal from our very own Academy. And teaching such deviance to these impressionable children! I cannot condone this!" Lee proclaimed.

"Like Sasuke said, we're ninja. Besides we'll return the stuff we borrow. And Gai-sensei did tell us to stick with Kakashi's students to make up for his behavior this morning which means all _three_ of us need to help them," TenTen responded sternly, drawing a glare from Neji.

"What's wrong Hyuuga? Is it too below you to help teach the Hokage's grandson?" Sasuke asked.

"I think they're scared," Sakura bemoaned.

'No sense of adventure,' Naruto signed sighing pityingly.

"I suppose if they really didn't want to sneak into the Academy, they could just take these three to one of the training fields and wait for us. I'll go in with these three to get what we need," TenTen sighed.

"Fine. Just go," Neji stated.

"We'll only be a few minutes," Sakura called as she took off out of the field with Naruto, Sasuke, and TenTen.

**XXXXXX**

**XXXXXX**

"A few minutes?" Neji asked angrily as Sakura giggled at his eye twitch and the little red head who had decided that Neji's arm was as fun to hang off as Naruto's had been.

"We got lost," Sasuke shrugged pulling out one of Kakashi's favorite excuses. _Looks like they're actually good for something_.

'We got the toys,' Naruto signed, knowing full well that only his teammates would understand what he was saying.

"And I grabbed this because I don't know sign language and this'll really help," TenTen added pulling out a familiar looking chalkboard and handing it to Naruto. Naruto snickered as he took it from her and repeated his comment much to TenTen's amusement.

"Such fun toys aren't they? Neji thinks I spend too much time with them," she commented back.

/So does Anko/ Naruto snickered.

"Don't say that about Anko," Sakura lectured.

TenTen snickered remembering the hour they had spent with the woman while she 'helped' them look for Naruto and Sasuke before she was called back to the Administration building for the same meeting as Gai. "Anyways, let's get started. What _do_ the three of you know about kunai and shuriken?" she asked the three children.

"They're our primary weapons, especially as Genin," Moegi stated.

"How are they best used?" Sakura asked.

"Throwing. But kunai can be used in close combat too. Like with taijutsu, but they haven't really let us do that yet," Konohamaru answered.

"Man, I forgot how much I learned outside of the Academy. Is this really all they taught us our first year?" TenTen asked.

"Yup. Iruka-sensei's trying to change that though. Part of the reason he was at the Academy was to evaluate it from the inside. Kakashi-sensei said they're working on reformatting it now so it'll probably be better before they graduate," Sakura explained. "Hey, I have an idea. Sasuke and I'll start working with these three, you work with Naruto!"

Naruto quickly shook his head against the idea but TenTen was already looking at him curiously. "What does he need help with?"

"His aim is off by like an inch…all the time," Sakura told her.

"If it's off consistently why don't you just adjust your aim?" Neji asked distastefully.

"Too much trouble in the middle of a fight," TenTen stated. "It's just a quick fix and it's too conscious."

"I told Anko but she started laughing so I think she thought I was lying," Sakura admitted.

"Alright then, I work with him. Neji and Lee will help you two for now," TenTen finally agreed before pulling a very reluctant Naruto away from his teammates.

Once they were out of sight of the rest of their teammates TenTen pulled out a kunai and threw it randomly at one of the trees lining the training field. "Alright match my shot as close as possible," she told him.

Naruto sighed and did as she told him aiming as carefully as possible. It came as no surprise to him when his kunai landed below and to the left. "Right, well there's nothing wrong your throwing technique. Maybe your depth perception is off. Try throwing a kunai while keeping one eye closed," she suggested.

When both kunai missed the mark, TenTen nodded assuredly. "Well I think that's the problem then. Since you were farther off when you had your right eye open and closer with both eyes open and left eye I think that makes the left eye dominant but I'm not really sure. If you think it helps you can practice more with the right eye closed and see if your aim improves but I have a different idea. Would you be up for sneaking into the academy again?"

Naruto shrugged and nodded before he was once again pulled back towards the Academy. "We'll be back in a bit!" TenTen shouted to the rest of their teammates as they darted past.

"I'm going with them to make sure she doesn't get Naruto in trouble," Sasuke stated excusing himself as he took off after the pair completely ignoring the diatribe that Lee launched into defending his teammate's honor.

He caught up to them just as they entered the school. "Why are you sneaking in again?" he whispered as TenTen peered down a corridor to make sure it was empty.

"My dad told me about these kunai that have extra prongs on them, almost like sai but the prongs are a lot shorter and go out to the side. I forget what they're really for but they sound like they might be like the feathers on an arrow. The kunai might help his aim," TenTen explained.

Naruto looked at her curiously but followed with out argument when she motioned for them to head down the cleared hallway. "Thing is I'm not sure they'll have any of these here," TenTen admitted. "They're an old form and my dad made it sound like they weren't used for a reason but I figure if they can help him no one will notice."

"Right, like that's gonna work," Sasuke sneered.

"Well, it'll make him a more productive member of your team," TenTen offered.

"He's productive enough already. If this is gonna get him in trouble-"

"Wow, I didn't think I'd see the jealousy Sakura was talking about so soon after meeting you," TenTen commented.

Sasuke glared at her but Naruto tapped him on the shoulder and shook his head. 'It won't hurt anyone,' he claimed.

'People don't seem to need much of an excuse to cause trouble around you,' Sasuke responded gaining a growl for Naruto.

"Quiet," TenTen hissed not noticing the conversation they had been having.

"This is a bad idea," Sasuke insisted.

"Then you could have stayed outside," TenTen answered. "And we're there anyways so just stay quiet."

Sasuke sighed and stepped in front of her to pick the lock on the equipment room as he had during their first trip in. "Okay now I'm not sure where it'll be in here so fan out and look for odd kunai," TenTen instructed them.

She hadn't even checked in two lockers when Naruto tapped her on the shoulder and held up a kunai with questioning look on his face. "That's it! Let's grab a few and then get Sasuke and leave."

Naruto nodded and led the way back to the locker he found the things in. Sasuke joined them a moment later and looked at the kunai curiously. "I think I've seen these before," he muttered.

'Where?'

"Don't know," Sasuke admitted, slipping one of them into his own kunai pouch while Naruto and TenTen each took several for their own.

"I was right though. They really don't ever use these. This locker is completely covered with dust. I doubt it's been opened in years," TenTen said finally closing it.

"Maybe they aren't as useful as you think," Sasuke shrugged.

'Academy,' Naruto signed shaking his head.

"Huh?" TenTen asked.

"He said Academy. He means that it was probably among those things dropped sometime after the Great Wars ended that caused the drop in quality at the academy," Sasuke explained frowning as Naruto began to smirk.

"You got all that from one word from him?" TenTen asked.

"Obviously," Sasuke replied.

"From the way your friends were talking the other night I wouldn't have taken you for someone who could really understand someone so well," TenTen admitted.

'Friends?' Naruto signed.

"I agree with him. What friends?" Sasuke asked.

"The Inuzuka and Akimichi boys. The Nara boy didn't really say much," TenTen explained.

"They were former classmates, not friends. My friends are my teammates only," Sasuke stated before Naruto glomped him. "Get off," he muttered, pushing Naruto off and noticing that the blond was now giggling silently. The fall knocked Naruto's hood off his head and TenTen finally recognized him as the blond boy in the class picture she had seen the night before. What hadn't been in the picture were the two scars on the left side of his neck that were barely visible from where she was standing because the neck of both of his shirts and his forehead protector nearly covered them.

"So that special class… was it sign language?" TenTen asked trying not to stare at Naruto.

"Yeah."

"What did you two do during the first two weeks of training? Sakura mentioned you two really pissed Naruto off," she admitted. _He must have been injured right around graduation time. None of the others seemed to be concerned about serious injuries_.

"We…messed up a training exercise because we didn't know how to work together," Sasuke dodged frowning.

/They refused to recognize my genius/ Naruto claimed turning the chalkboard toward TenTen.

"Yeah, Sakura said something like that when she was talking about team leaders," TenTen nodded.

Naruto began giggling more and Sasuke was about to complain when Naruto's giggles turned into harsh coughs. The blond doubled over and the chalkboard clattered to the floor as he brought his hands up to cover his mouth. TenTen glanced at Sasuke but noticed that he seemed as clueless as her. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Naruto held up a hand as his coughing briefly subsided and waved off her concern. Sasuke's eyes narrowed when the blond attempted to do the same to him, but unlike TenTen, Sasuke could see the blood he had wiped off on his pocket. He opened his mouth to question the blond when they heard the door handle jingle. TenTen pulled both their arms and moved to hide in one of the aisles of lockers farther from the door.

"You may think you're hiding but I heard one of you kids coughing a moment ago. Get out here now and maybe I won't get the Academy teachers involved," a deep voice called out.

TenTen winced and noticed that Naruto had pulled up his hood again. 'Do we go out?' Naruto signed to Sasuke.

'No choice. He'll find us if we stay. Then he'll be madder,' Sasuke answered, stepping around TenTen and glancing towards the door in full view of the man standing there. He caught sight of the black trench coat and nearly cursed.

"Out now," the man ordered. Sasuke stepped forward and was quickly followed by Naruto and TenTen. "Wonderful three of you who apparently have no respect for forbidden areas," the man muttered as they filed past.

"That's not true," TenTen moved to argue before Sasuke grabbed her wrist and shook his head.

"Well at least one of you shows signs of intelligence. Do you know who I am?" the man asked turning to look at Sasuke.

"Morino Ibiki. Anko's mentioned you," Sasuke admitted.

"Good. Then you know how much trouble I can get the three of you in," Ibiki replied. "Care to tell me why three Genin, including a student of Maito Gai, decided to break into the Academy store room while the Academy is closed?"

"Um…we're watching the Hokage's grandson today," TenTen explained. "He wanted us to teach him about kunai and shuriken but none of us wanted to be injured in the process, or to get Konohamaru-chan injured, so we snuck in to get these," she added pulling out one of the dull practice kunai that she had nicked during their first visit.

Ibiki stared at the three for a moment and had to fight down a smirk before continuing, "Just remember next time that real ninja don't get caught. Now get out of here before the teachers start returning and cover your tracks better next time. I know you've already been in there today."

All three exchanged a glance before TenTen turned tail and took off down the hallway. Naruto and Sasuke quickly followed with the sound of suspicious laughter echoing behind them. "Who was he?" TenTen asked a bit breathlessly as they spilled onto to the training field. Sakura paused in her hysterical laughter as Neji attempted not to kill the little girl who had nearly cut off his hair.

"What happened?" she asked looking over at them.

"We got caught by Morino Ibiki. That guy Anko keeps telling us about," Sasuke explained.

"The head of interrogation?" Sakura asked, paling slightly. "What did he do to you?"

"Head of interrogation?" TenTen repeated nervously.

'Orange likes him,' Naruto shrugged so innocently that Sakura thought for a moment his brains had actually been addled.

"He's scary Naruto. And he totally could have killed you or worse if he had been in a good mood," Sakura told him.

Lee's eyes widened and he moved to defend his teammate from the two ruffians who had nearly put her in danger. "It is no wonder that you would end up with such behavior. Gai-sensei was right! You have not had any youthful awareness or responsibility instilled in you by your sensei! But to bring our innocent teammate into your deviousness is unacceptable!" he claimed.

"Huh?" Sakura asked.

"Uh…it was my idea Lee," TenTen reminded him.

"You never would have come up with it if not for their goading. We have fulfilled our promise to Gai-sensei by staying with this team of hooligans but he would be most disappointed to know that his own student has taken up such unyouthful activities as the ones they have instilled in you. Even more that the daughter of his revered sensei is among those punks. It would destroy him!"

"I think you're overreacting a bit Lee-san," Sakura commented.

"I think he needs to shut up and remember we're ninja. Nothing we've done today is out of character. The only rule we've broken today was getting caught," Sasuke retorted. "Just because you're too scared or noble to join in doesn't mean you should forget what we're trained to do. Unless your sensei doesn't have the balls to teach you what a real ninja is."

"That the last scion of the noble Uchiha clan has fallen into such reprehensible behavior is despicable."

"What did you just say?" Sasuke growled.

"Umm…senpai?" Moegi attempted to interrupt.

Sakura moved over to her quickly and wrapped a hand over her mouth. "Why don't you and your friends head home for the day? Maybe we can work with you a little bit later in the week. Until then, keep the practice props and work with them on your own. But be careful, don't get injured or hurt. Got it?" Sakura asked. Moegi nodded and Sakura continued, "Tell your friends once you're out here, k?" Moegi nodded again and Neji kindly moved out of the way urging Konohamaru and Udon to follow their teammate but making no move to step in and stop his own.

"Cut it out Lee. You're taking this too far," TenTen interrupted as Lee began another rant. When her interruption failed, Sasuke lunged at Lee but found himself held back by Sakura. "Damn it Naruto!" Sakura shouted when Naruto finished the attack for Sasuke and landed an uppercut on Lee's jaw.

TenTen got ready to step in if Lee tried to retaliate but Lee seemed frozen on the ground staring up at Naruto in surprise. Even Neji was a bit surprised that the younger boy had caught Lee off guard.

"Let's just stop," Sakura suggested. "With the brats gone…we need to go meet our sensei anyways. Thanks for sticking with us today. It was fun TenTen. Good luck on the exam."

"Right," TenTen answered. "Umm…sometime during the next week, I'll try to find you guys and we can work with those new kunai," she added as Naruto turned away from Lee.

Sakura nodded and released Sasuke. The Uchiha huffed once and pushed past Gai's team and off the practice field as his teammates quickly followed. 'Beast is a jerk. Is his sensei like that?' Naruto asked Sakura once they were well on their way towards wherever Sasuke was leading them.

"No. Gai-sensei is odd. This morning was pretty typical, but he's never…that critical or rude. Lee didn't strike me as being like that either though. Maybe…maybe he's just concerned about competition," she suggested. "With the way I was talking about you two, he's probably concerned about new competition that he can't really go up against right now."

_**XXXXXXX**_

By the time Kakashi finally found his students at their bridge, Team 7 was already an hour late for their meeting with the Council. Kakashi contemplated having the meeting canceled as he looked at the gloomy trio but decided they just needed a challenge to take their minds off things – and if the Council was good at anything it was challenges; after all, they were the ones who had given the Copy-Nin three bratty students.

"While I'm sure the Council will be pleased to hear that I've been such a good teacher as to pass on my tardiness to the three of you, I also think they'd prefer it if we could head over to meet with them now," he stated, bringing them out of their melancholy.

"Late?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"Let's just go," Sasuke stated, not wanting to get into an argument.

Kakashi frowned at their reaction but moved to lead the way back to the tower. "They won't take much of your time. They just want to check up on you. Iruka, Anko, and I have already told them a lot about your training and your behavior on missions and they've been impressed so far," Kakashi told them trying to get his students to loosen up.

"You mean the missions you didn't tell us we were on?" Sakura asked glaring up at her sensei.

"Where'd you hear that?" Kakashi asked nonchalantly.

"Iruka," Sasuke stated.

"That man doesn't know how to keep a secret," Kakashi muttered. "Oh well, serves him right since the Council is probably going to nominate the three of you for the Chuunin exam and he doesn't want you to compete publicly yet…don't tell the Council I already told you that. They want it to be a surprise."

"But we already told people we weren't competing," Sakura piped up.

"So tell them it was taken out of your hands and the Hokage decided it was time for you to compete," Kakashi reasoned. "They'll be impressed enough that they won't bother you…unless they choose to challenge you. If that happens, just kick their asses."

"What does the Council need to know to decide if we're nominated?" Sakura asked.

"Not telling. If I do, you'll try to sabotage it, won't you?"

"Nooo," Sakura intoned gaining a small snicker from Naruto.

"How did the day go then? Did you enjoy getting out?" Kakashi asked turning to Naruto.

'Brat was weird, but not bad,' Naruto commented.

"And Gai?"

"Odd," Sasuke commented. "The Hyuuga's annoying and I pray to my parents' grave I never see the other one again," he added shocking his teammates a bit.

"Really? I didn't think mini-Gai would be that bad."

"He's rude and he kept insulting us," Sakura added. "He really didn't like Sasuke. And I don't think he liked Naruto either."

"Hmm…maybe it's because Sasuke is an Uchiha. There was a reason we told you to stop wearing your family crests," Kakashi told them. "For now, focus on making a good impression in front of the elders. Your exam will be harder than the one the others are taking but the more you impress the more they'll pick an exam that they'll be confident you can handle," he added as they entered the administration building.

"So will we not really be taking the exam with the others?" Sasuke asked a bit hopefully.

"No you will. You'll just have additional tasks to handle during them," Kakashi explained. "I'll make it worth your while though."

"You mean by giving us the money you owe us?" Sakura muttered.

"Sort of," Kakashi admitted.

"You know, Ino and them wouldn't have made fun of me last night if I had had my own money to buy something like I used to own," Sakura told him.

"Do you want something like what you used to own? I'm sure Anko wouldn't mind getting it for you. She's having the time of her life spending her money on someone other than herself…and occasionally me or Ibiki, but most of those are gag gifts," Kakashi explained.

"Were you and Anko teammates?" Sasuke asked.

"No. She was taught by Orochimaru before he defected. I was taught by the Fourth Hokage, but he happened to have been teammates with Anko's aunt," Kakashi explained.

"So you were friends then," Sakura stated gaining what sounded like a snicker from Naruto.

"I'll guess that since Naruto is laughing he's at least aware that, no, we weren't friends. We hated each other for the most part, unless she thought I could teach her something. We were two very different geniuses. My sensei and her aunt just forced us to socialize occasionally," he admitted as they came to stop in front of an office door. "Now while we're in there, be respectful and answer their questions truthfully. They'll probably spend more time talking to you than asking questions but still, don't lie to get out of this," he told them as sternly as possible.

All three Genin nodded and Kakashi was about to go in when he thought of something more, "Take your coats off for now. They aren't necessary and it looks kind of odd in our weather."

The three slipped out of their coats and followed Kakashi in as he knocked once on the door and then entered. "Sorry we're a bit late. I trained them a bit too well and now I can't find them when I need to," he joked.

"Perhaps you need to be taught to follow directions better," one of the councilors mumbled glaring at Kakashi before her eyes slipped to look at the three Genin. "Don't idle, come forward a bit," she told them, waving them towards the desk.

"Now. The first order of business is to tell the three of you that you will be taking the Chuunin Exam when it starts in five days. We are confident enough in your abilities that although you have only been active for a short while you will be able to compete equally with older Genin," the older man to the Hokage's left claimed.

"For now you will _not_ have any extra tasks from us. We feel the exam Morino Ibiki has crafted is challenging enough as it stands and we will do no more than wish you good luck," the Hokage added.

"However, there are several things that we feel you should be made aware of as your team becomes more public, which it will as the exam continues," the woman claimed. "For starters, the auto-pass, which allowed your team to become Genin, has never before been used during peacetime. That alone will make some feel that you are being unfairly favored. Most will not see the circumstances as we did due to the fact that Uzumaki's injuries are not widely known – and we would like to keep it that way."

"In this exam you will be going up against ninja not only from this village but those from our allied villages as well. This includes teams from Sunagakure, Amegakure, Takigakure, Kusagakure, and a new comer named Otogakure. The majority of these Genin will be quite a bit older than you and will not take kindly to rookies," the man stated.

"We recommend that for now, you do your best on that exam. When you pass, we will speak with you again about a more difficult assignment during the second exam. That is all for now," the Hokage stated.

Sakura glanced at her teammates and then bowed to the Council and the Hokage before turning and following Kakashi out of the room. "They didn't ask _any_ questions," Sakura muttered once the door to the office had closed behind them.

"Probably just wanted to get it over with since we came late," Kakashi told her, once again glad for the mask - he seemed to lose his composure more around his students. _Something changed. This afternoon they wanted answers about their skills_.

"Kaka-sensei…what have they been told about us?" Sasuke asked.

"The same excuses we've come up for others. Your sharingan may never activate because of your brother's interference or fluke genetics. Naruto's been improving but there has been no activity from the seal. Sakura's improving well and if her father or Anko ever run out of things to teach her then she'll need to be assigned at least temporarily to self study or to work with a genjutsu expert," Kakashi told them. "Although before that happens they'll probably have me expand your training into elemental jutsu but I'd like to put that off until you three are more…grounded."

'Do they believe you?' Naruto asked.

"Probably not. It's likely the Council at least sees it as it is – my attempt to avoid their interference. If we're lucky, they won't push for anything more unless they absolutely need it. That isn't likely to happen for another few years and by then we'll have you ready," Kakashi assured them. "But enough of that. Iruka said he'd feed all of us tonight and I got the three of you a present," he added. "And since we're already running late Iruka will probably complain before he feeds us so the sooner we get there the sooner we can eat. I think he got ramen."

* * *

**Agent's Spiel: **This is why last chapter ended up so short. Only the meeting with Gai at the very beginning and a very short day with Konohamaru and gang were originally going to be written. I came up with this while I was working with _Dogs I_ and decided to split it so that I could have a bit more fun with the day. I hope you enjoyed it (I know I did when I originally wrote it but now Gai's interaction with the two isn't quite as funny so I'm not too sure I still like it).

The whole kunai thing. I established Naruto's aim a while ago and while I don't think those kunai have that meaning in canon I thought it would be kind of fun to include it here. Naruto is meant to have issues with depth perception (I'm not an eye doctor and neither is TenTen so her explanation is a bit off), the kunai helps only because the extra prongs work similar to the feathers on an arrow and help it maintain its flight pattern better. The closing one eye thing brings his dominant eye to the forefront (you'll see pitchers and archers do this occasionally to help increase accuracy but for some people it just makes the problem worse).

Does anyone know if I used 'senpai' right? I couldn't think of a better English noun for Moegi to use and that sounded correct from what I know of the word but if you can either back me up or correct me, I'd really appreciate it. I've also seen it spelled 'sempai' but from what I read, it sounded like both were acceptable.

And yes Lee is out of character, much pissier than normal, thus his nickname is 'Beast'. The nicknames for TenTen and Neji will be revealed next chapter but it will be a while before Gai really comes in again so I'll just tell you that his nickname will be 'Green'. It should be noted that even if colors seem boring, they're a compliment coming from Naruto and we'll see several more like this.

Brat is Konohamaru. The other two will have nicknames as well, but I'm not telling you just yet.

Thanks to all the reviewers. You guys kinda blew me away this time:

_Kage Husha, someone179, ObsidianEsper, Azamiko, Blood Zephyr, StoryTagger, Tombadgerlock, hyourin.tenshi, AznPuffyHair, insanechildfanfic, shyalchemist, show.me.the.stars, Cranky Guy, MadaMag, KunoichiDreamer, KonKon-Chan, MelissaKS, DarkRavie, LambSam, Dramil, Hebi R., Gohanzgirl, MagicallyInclined, Everybody's Neesan, Bloodplusrocks4eva, sumaviper, kit onigiri, DarkChampion, -w- easy enough, Marz1, Nassa, Pheonix Eternia, Chishiokage, JoeDaSpartan06, Sprig, Tetsu-sama, twisteddagger, Gabwr, stardragon, Fhulhi the Crazy, Lord-Scruffy, Death's Shadowy Past, digiMist, Ero-kun, Jelli, divad relffehs, Elvin Flame, Ellenlome, Crystal Cat-chan, Sevrin Saphir, some reader, freefall-gypsy, red-crescent-moon_

I had review last chapter that made me feel kinda bad (not the review but the realization that I haven't been clear on a few things). Not a lot of this story is based on canon; what is canon is what was taken from like the first chapter. Any other events that crossover with canon are supposed to be done with a twist to compensate for changes that have been made to the characters. I bring this up because, obviously, Sakura's history is not canon.

This story's Sakura can be a bit emotionally mature but her parental history is different from canon so there were changes right off the bat with her first appearance. This Sakura probably never would have made the comment about parents, she's lost one of her own and her father works frequently. She also has history with certain characters that canon Sakura did not have – this includes TenTen and may include a few others as time goes on. I'm sorry I didn't state this ahead of time, but I was trying to reveal it as time went on and I don't think I did that great of a job so I apologize.

And another thing to apologize for. I looked back and realized that I hadn't made this very clear so I've probably been confusing a lot of people. Before I start writing a story I come up with a chapter outline and I rarely change that; however, most of the time when I actually start writing a chapter I decide that it's too long to post as one segment so I break it up. This leads to a disparity between what I see as the chapter numbers and what you guys see because of this site's numbering system. I really apologize and I'll try to stick with referring to Chapter _Titles_ rather than numbers to avoid confusion in the future.

I'm breaking my own rule here for 'some reader'. I usually refuse to comment on pairings and probably won't ever comment on a review about them again but I figured I'd take the chance to plug another story I'm starting. If you like that particular pairing (which will not appear here), I'd recommend checking out **21**. It'll take a while but I think you'll enjoy it.

Last note I promise: For those you who have noticed this I apologize because yes there have been more grammar mistakes and things like missing words lately. Why haven't I fixed them if I'm aware of the problem? Simple, like I said above I'm trying to at least finish writing Part I of this fic; This story has dragged on for two years now and I really want to finish it both for you the readers and for myself. To do this I'm sacrificing the quality a bit. I may eventually go back and do more editing but, for now, I'd rather just finish writing it.

And now a special treat for anyone who actually made it down this far. If you go into my bio you'll find a link to photobucket. It should be noted that the (crappy) drawing you will find was drawn by candlelight during Earth Hour, but still it gets the idea of their new clothes across fairly well…sorta. I'll try to do something less half-assed eventually.

Also Ellenlome, if you're reading this I'm sorry it's taken so long. I'm going to try and get you something more concrete within the week I've just been really distracted.


	16. Dogs III

**Agent's Spiel:** I'm not really sure why people seemed to think that there should have been more of a reaction last chapter from Team Gai to Naruto's muteness. There's no reason that Neji, TenTen, or Lee would have any idea about whether or not Naruto was mute in the first place so for all they know he's always been that way. TenTen is the only one who really seemed to pick up on the fact that it might have been more recent but that was only because she saw the scars and remembered that none of the other rookies had mentioned injuries.

That said, I do understand that the actual meeting with Gai seemed anti-climatic. It was originally supposed to be more…outrageous I guess but in the end, it just didn't seem to fit with the way I've had them react to things so far. Naruto and Sasuke really hadn't heard enough about Gai to know to really expect anything and that's why the scene ended up the way it did. He just seemed a bit weird to them but they've been more or less desensitized to it by this point. Hope that explains it a bit

Part 3 of Chapter 9. And we're finally starting the Chuunin Exam.

Remember when Ibiki and Anko walked into the mission room the first time Team 7 used their jutsu? If you didn't note it at the time, please remember that I never mentioned Ibiki's reaction to the chibis. This is because he completely ignored them. I haven't quite decided but he may just be the most invulnerable person in Konoha when it comes to that jutsu – conversely he may be the _most_ vulnerable. I can't figure out which would be funnier, any suggestions?

Also, I mentioned this much earlier but Ibiki is older in this story than he is in canon. Because of this his reputation is a bit more intimidating than it was before, he's had longer to cultivate it and it affects people who are a bit older…like say Genma. Anko is immune and honestly, Kakashi doesn't strike me as being afraid of anyone but his students…and maybe Iruka.

I made two mistakes last chapter so if you're confused let me just say that this exam starts five days after the day with Konohamaru – I had to fix it because at one point Sakura mistakenly said 'good luck tomorrow' instead of just 'good luck'. Also, it was the Inuzuka and Akimichi boy who had TenTen had spoken with, not Inuzuka and Aburame. Sorry.

I almost called this "The chapter in which Sasuke learns his teammates are stubborn and will not listen to him."

**And now for the reason this chapter is early. If updates stop suddenly, I haven't abandoned this or any of my stories. My computer is almost 4 years old and it isn't doing so well. Without it, I can't update and I can't buy a new one until the end of summer. I put this up now so that I'd be sure to have it up but no guarantees really until August, sorry.**

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course, it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Dogs**

_I miss ramen_, Naruto thought mournfully as he sat on the roof of the Academy waiting for his teammates. _One bowl in four months just isn't enough. And it was just miso. I miss pork and chicken ramen too. I haven't had them since I was in the Academy. I should ask Anko to take me_.

"Stop drooling over ramen, Naruto."

Naruto's eyes widened and he looked next to him to see Sasuke standing there. 'What took you so long?'

"I couldn't find my forehead protector. I had to go back by Iruka's after I got changed," Sasuke explained gaining suspicious snickers from Naruto. His glare softened slightly when Naruto's snickers once again became harsh and the blond boy began hacking.

"Have you told Iruka yet?" Sasuke asked when he noticed a small spot of blood on Naruto's hand.

'It's fine. Just sore,' Naruto explained.

"Is that what the medic claimed?" Sasuke asked gaining a nod from Naruto. "Then why are you coughing up blood?"

Naruto froze and looked up at Sasuke a bit nervously before turning away without saying anything. "If we pass this exam, I'm not going on to the next one unless you tell Iruka that it's happening. From what Anko said, we'll be on our own during that one and there will be combat. We can't go into that if there isn't a way to take care of it," Sasuke stated.

"Take care of what?" Sakura asked, landing on the roof next to them.

"He's coughing up blood. It's the third time I've seen it this week."

"We can't go into Anko's exam if you're coughing up blood," Sakura stated, repeating Sasuke's sentiment.

Naruto scowled and sighed but the sharp exhalation was enough to send him into another fit of coughing. When he got his breathing back under control, he signed, 'When we pass this, I'll tell Sensei.'

"Good. And make sure you tell him exactly what's happening. They can't try to help you if you don't explain it right," Sakura reprimanded. She yelped a moment later when she felt a sharp pulse of chakra from the wrist of her new gloves. "Okay I get it. End of topic. Let's just go in," she muttered reaching down to tug at Naruto's coat.

Naruto nodded and stood up before shrugging off his coat and turning it so that the grey was showing like Sasuke's. Sakura nodded when he was done and turned to lead the way through the roof access door and back through the building. "It's in one of the larger lecture halls I think room three something. So let's just head to the third floor and find it," she suggested.

"301 Sakura," Sasuke told her, rolling his eyes.

"Right," Sakura replied sheepishly and she pushed her way into one of the atria. "301 is right through here."

"It's quiet," Sasuke muttered.

"Hey you three!"

"Not quiet enough," Sakura retorted as she turned around to face the Chuunin who had called out to them.

"How did the three of you get up here?" the man asked suspiciously.

"We took the stairs."

"The main stairs are closed," the man replied still suspicious.

"No we met up on the roof. We took the stairs down," Sakura explained smiling politely.

"You skipped the front doors?" the man asked, a tick growing on his forehead.

"Yes. Why? It wasn't like there was an informal test that we just happened to surpass by coming from the roof…was there?" Sakura asked.

"You're Hatake's aren't you?"

"Obviously."

"Just…just get out of here," the man grumbled glaring at them. "Came from the roof, lousy brats," he muttered walking back out of the atrium.

"Who do you think got caught in Kotetsu and Izumo's trap?" Sakura asked.

"Who knows? Most of them'll get out of it eventually."

'Monster shouldn't have talked so loud if they wanted to catch us,' Naruto shrugged. His hood cast enough of a shadow on his face to keep his expression looking blank, but Sakura and Sasuke were familiar enough with him that they could spot the small grin. They still weren't quite sure why he disliked the two so much.

"Well, let's get this over with," Sakura declared moving forward.

She had moved about ten meters with Sasuke following her when he stopped and turned around. Sakura continued on several more meters when she finally turned around to yell at her teammates for lingering. She froze when she noticed a figure she hadn't seen before standing at the top of a set of stairs near the edge of the room "Can we help you?" Sakura asked a bit nervously.

Naruto hadn't moved from their original location as he stared up at the woman.

"No you can't," the woman smirked at Sakura before turning back to Naruto. "Pity seeing you again Uzumaki."

"You're…" Sasuke trailed off staring at the woman before moving forward to grab Naruto's arm. "Let's get out of here. She isn't worth us being late for the exam," he stated, pulling Naruto back towards Sakura.

Naruto slowly came out of his stupor and nodded as he began moving on his own again. He sighed in relief when he heard a familiar voice shout, "Hey brats!"

"Genma!" Sakura greeted, waving at the older man. Genma nodded back to her and moved towards them never removing his eyes from the woman still standing at the other end of the room

"I figured I'd come wish the three of you luck. I'm sure Anko's told you to do something insane by now," Genma smirked as the woman finally ducked out of the door and he was left alone with the Genin. "Never mind, just get on in there and be careful of her Genin. The Hokage couldn't have known who they would send."

"Why would he even accept their village here?" Sasuke snarled. "It isn't like Naruto's accident was the only incident."

"He wants to keep them close so we can keep an eye on them. He just didn't think they would be quite this bold," Genma assured them. "Now head in. The pretest is finished so everyone else will be making their way up now. And I really don't recommend following whatever advice Anko gave you; she seems convinced that Ibiki is some sort of teddy bear."

"What'd you say Shiranui?" Genma's eyes widened and the senbon he had been fondling fell out of his lax mouth. Sakura giggled and grabbed her teammates' sleeves before literally skipping as she pulled them past the man in the black trench coat.

"Well, she does," Genma shrugged a bit nervously.

"They're Kakashi's?" Ibiki asked ignoring Genma's nervousness.

"Umm…yeah. Though it's a bit debatable if he's the only one who should be claiming credit," Genma admitted.

"Interesting. They take more after Anko. I caught the dark haired one and the one with the hood breaking into the Academy with one of Maito Gai's students," Ibiki commented. "They seemed a bit more afraid of me than their teammate was today."

"Ah. The one with the hood? You didn't get the chance to really meet them?" Genma asked.

"I'm fairly certain the first time I even saw them was at the Academy. Maybe in the mission room as well, but I'm not quite sure. Why?"

"It's nothing. And the black haired kid is Uchiha just so you know. They claim he doesn't have the sharingan. I'm sure you can come up with taunt or two about that. You did work with Itachi right? Anyways…I gotta go find the Hokage!" Genma claimed darting out of the room.

"That never gets old," Ibiki chuckled. "And now I get to mess with a stuck up Uchiha. This day may be worth it yet."

**XX**

Sakura glanced nervously at Naruto as he remained completely still, slumped against the wall in the exam room. There were only a few other teams in the room but they had paid little attention to the rookie team when they entered.

"Umm…did Iruka-sensei say how hidden you're supposed to be? I mean, what do we say to our classmates if they come here?" Sakura asked trying to break the silence.

Sasuke shot a glare her way but Sakura ignored it in favor of squatting in front of Naruto and picking at a scuffmark on the floor while she waited for an answer. 'It's up to me,' Naruto finally answered.

'Well?' Sakura signed back trying to keep his attention. Sasuke moved to stand next to Naruto so that he could keep an eye on the door.

'If they're here and they recognize me just tell them I passed a different test,' Naruto finally said. 'They don't need to know.'

"Okay," Sakura agreed. "But you know they're going to notice eventually, right?"

Naruto nodded and turned away signaling an end to the conversation. Sakura looked up a bit guiltily when she felt Sasuke's glare return to her.

"Oh that reminds me. Have you gotten any new books lately?" Sakura asked, turning away from Sasuke's glare.

Naruto nodded and pulled out the latest gift from the Hokage. Konohamaru had delivered it to Iruka when he and his tutor had showed up for Konohamaru's first lesson in sign language. "Maybe we should give the Brat and his friends tails like Son Goku's," Sakura snickered.

Naruto's eyes lit up but he quickly repressed his snickers as Sakura began reading through the book. _Pirate ninja monkeys…here they come Pervert_, he thought to himself.

_He'll never fall for it_.

Sakura was pulled away from her book when Naruto began coughing harshly again. "That's the third time in just an hour," Sasuke stated.

"After the exam you're telling Iruka-sensei right away," Sakura declared as the doors to the room opened again. Sakura and Sasuke both pulled their hoods up and the latter sat down next to his teammates as well while those who had been held up by Kotetsu and Izumo's pretest began filing in grumbling in annoyance.

"Do you think they actually managed to send anyone away?" Sasuke asked.

"Neh, just put them in a bad mood so they'll be irritated in this exam I bet," Sakura answered not bothering to look up from her book. "So umm…who are we targeting?" she asked, peeking to see if Naruto was answering.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sasuke asked.

'Black,' Naruto grinned.

"You two were scared of him five days ago," Sakura pointed out.

"So were you and yet you skipped past him not five minutes ago."

"Heehee, so you think he yelled at Genma for the teddy bear comment?" Sakura giggled.

"Well, it's true," Sasuke shrugged.

"It sure is! Gai-sensei told us last night that the three of you actually got nominated along with the other rookies!" TenTen interrupted looming over Sakura's back. "You could have at least told me."

"We weren't supposed to tell anyone before today," Sakura told her.

"They shouldn't nominate rookies for this exam," Neji muttered.

"Wait did you say with the other rookies? So the others were nominated?" Sasuke asked.

"All three rookie teams were nominated," TenTen told him. "And ignore Neji; he's annoyed because his uncle almost pulled him out of the exam."

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"Cloud," Sasuke stated.

"You knew they were here?" TenTen asked. "I mean we didn't find out until Neji told us this morning. It was kind of surprising."

"We ran into one of their Jounin," Sasuke explained.

"Why would that cause your uncle to pull you out of the exam though?" Sakura asked gaining a glare from Neji before he turned away from her.

"He's just angsty today," TenTen assured her.

"The last time Cloud was allowed to send ninja into Konoha a Hyuuga ended up dying," Sasuke stated. "Did he pull your cousin's team?"

"No," Neji stated angrily. "Her sensei convinced him to keep the team in the exam."

"I think it sucks that they're allowed here," Sakura muttered. "He should find a better way to keep an eye on them."

'Forget about it,' Naruto signed to her.

"I can't," Sakura muttered back.

"Come one, I don't have something for you to write on today, but please don't leave me out of a conversation like this," TenTen told them.

"Ooh, they're here. Sasuke you should hide before Ino hugs you again," Sakura grinned changing the subject.

"You know, I feel kind of sorry for the other guys in your class. At least the girls in mine realized pretty quickly that Neji hated them," TenTen stated.

"Actually, we probably should have figured that out about Sasuke too," Sakura admitted. "I guess we just figured it was part of an act and not his real personality."

'Sand,' Naruto signed nodding towards the trio watching them from the back row.

"Oooh, should I go explain why we told them we weren't competing or should we leave it for now?" Sakura asked.

"Leave it for now," Sasuke told her rolling his eyes.

"You think your fri…umm classmates will come over here?" TenTen asked remembering the not so pleasant reaction to the 'f' word during their earlier meeting.

"Not unless they see Sakura," Sasuke told her.

"Or if Akamaru decides he recognizes us and wants to play," Sakura grumbled when the small dog appeared in front of her looking quite happy to see her again.

"Ah, sorry about that. He smells your dog still so he was looking to see if you brought him," Kiba stated in apology when he popped up to retrieve Akamaru. "So, uh, why'd you guys get nominated?"

"The Hokage decided we were ready and overruled Iruka-sensei's objections," Sakura explained trying to stop Akamaru from licking her face.

"Huh, cool," Kiba told her stalling as he tried to catch a glimpse of their teammate's face.

"Just get your mutt out of here Kiba," Sasuke said glaring at the other boy.

"Well, excuse me," Kiba snarled picking Akamaru up with a glare. He stalled when Akamaru whined and turned back around to look at Naruto. "No way. They aren't gonna believe this," Kiba declared grinning as he moved back to his team and Asuma's team where they had been lingering near the door.

He whispered to them for a moment before Chouji smiled and looked over at them. "And there it is from a slobbering mouth," Sasuke muttered angrily taking a moment to glare at Kiba.

A moment later Ino began laughing riotously catching the attention of most of the other Genin in the room. "Naruto passed, man no wonder Sakura thought they wouldn't be nominated. The dead last is on their team," she shrieked.

"Wow," TenTen muttered derisively as she turned to look at Naruto. "Their confidence in you must be so uplifting."

"You were dead last?" Neji asked in confusion.

'I didn't like school,' Naruto signed knowing that Neji wouldn't understand it.

"He didn't like school," Sakura said interpreting the signs. "Besides, we've had really rigorous training. He's a lot better than before, even if he wasn't that bad when he left the Academy," she defended.

"Hey, he hit Lee the other day. I bet none of those rookies could manage that. Lee's a taijutsu expert," TenTen told her. "Although at least now I understand how you guys are _not_ friends with them."

"Shut up all of you!"

The effect of the examiners' impressive entrance was rather lost on Team 7 as the smoke that poured into the room caused Naruto to go into the fourth coughing fit of the day. "Uchiha tell your teammate to stay quiet," Ibiki called back with a smirk before turning to the rest of the Genin. "I'm Morino Ibiki the head examiner for this round of the Chuunin Selection Exam. Unless you want to get kicked out I recommend that you all fall in line and do exactly as you're told for the next two hours," he stated, his smirk stretching the scars on his face and making him look even more grizzly.

When all the Genin had stilled and were cowering – or glaring in Team 7's case, Ibiki was nowhere near frightening enough to get away with insulting them –, Ibiki nodded and Kotetsu stepped forward holding a box. "The examiner here – you may recognize him – will be handing out your seating arrangements. Take one of these," Ibiki paused to pull one of the marked blocks out of the box, "and then find your assigned seat. Once you are all seated we'll hand out the tests," he finished as another examiner held up a stack of paper.

"It's a written test?" Sakura uttered in disbelief. "Is that a joke?"

TenTen looked equally abashed and Neji's jaw had tightened as he watched Izumo grinning and waving the tests in front of the Genin as they began to take their seats. Kotetsu made his way around the room, occasionally sending peeved glares at Team 7. Kotetsu finally made his way to the back of the room where Teams Kakashi and Gai were sitting. Before Sakura could take one of the numbered blocks out Kotetsu raised the box out of her reach. "How'd the three of you bypass us?" he asked angrily.

'Monster should talk quietly,' Naruto signed.

"What'd he say?"

"He said when you're attempting to plot evilly you should start being quieter. You let the entire mission room know what your plan was," Sakura told them.

Kotetsu gaped at her for a moment before dumping the final six blocks out on the floor in front of the two teams and walking back to the front in a huff. TenTen grabbed all six and took in a quick scan of the room before handing out the tokens. "Good luck to all of us," she grinned as she moved towards her seat in the back. She couldn't help but snicker as Sasuke and Neji realized that she had given them adjacent seats.

Once they were all seated, Izumo finally began handing out the tests facedown. "Don't turn the test over until he gives you the rules," he told every row as the rest of the examiners began taking seats along the sidewalls.

"I'll explain the rules now, but I will not answer any questions so just keep your mouths shut," Ibiki started keeping the examinees silent with a glare. "The test works with a subtraction system. Each of you starts with ten points; for every question wrong, you lose a point. You are expected to show your work on the exam paper.

"The points of a single team are linked and whether or not the team passes depends on the combined points of the team," he continued jotting down a few of the rules on the chalkboard to make sure there was no confusion.

"Now to the fun part. Aside from answering incorrectly, there are other ways for you all to lose points. If anyone is caught cheating or trying something sneaky, two points will be deducted," he explained turning to them with an eerie grin.

Sakura had been watching him curiously, when she felt eyes on her and turned to find Kotetsu and Izumo looking between her and her teammates with identical grins. _Wonderful, maybe we should have just broken up their exam instead of skipping it all together,_ she thought in annoyance.

"Realize that pathetic ones that get caught cheating will be destroying themselves. As shinobi trying to achieve the level of Chuunin, be proud ninja."

_Why did we find him scary?_ Sasuke wondered to himself as he watched Ibiki grandstanding.

"Now for the rule of failure. Those who lose all their initial points and don't answer any questions correctly will be failed along with their teammates. Think you can handle that Mr. Dead last?" Ibiki asked turning to smirk at Naruto.

_Bastard_.

Ibiki's smirk widened when he noticed both of the boy's teammates, two of the rookies, and one of Gai's students glaring at him for the comment. "Ah well, I'm sure Uchiha will pull you through, poor kid probably does all the work on your team." He smirked when the pencil in the kid's hand snapped but was surprised that the boy had continued to avoid eye contact.

"You all have one hour. Begin," Ibiki finished looking up to glare at the room.

Naruto turned over his exam paper and paled, for once extremely glad of his hood. _I can't answer a single one of these_, he thought as he scanned over the contents. He was contemplating the risk of contacting one of his teammates when he felt his glove heat up. _Sakura says not to worry, guess I won't. Still, I should look like I'm working while she comes up with the answer to a few of them and Sasuke will probably just use the sharingan. If we had known ahead of time, I could have used clones_. Glancing up at Ibiki once, he snickered and began doodling on the page. He was at it for about five minutes before he felt pulses begin on his wrist, moving to the correct question he began writing in the answer that Sasuke had sent. Several minutes later, he gained the answer to another question from Sakura and sent out a message of his own. _No more risks, we don't need to get caught__. Just win the bet_, he thought to himself.

Much to Ibiki's annoyance, Kakashi's hooded student snickered quietly every time a team was eliminated during the next twenty minutes. And again when one of the Sand Genin asked to be escorted to the restroom

In the back of the room, TenTen had made her way through the exam with ease during the first half hour and was waiting patiently for the next fifteen minutes to go by so that they could get the final question. _If it weren't a team test, I'd probably ignore Lee right now. He'd deserve it for being a jerk these past few days. I wonder if Sakura or her teammates need help_. She was contemplating it when she noticed Neji shake his head subtly. _He must have guessed what I was thinking. I guess that means Sasuke came up with a few answers_. Subtly manipulating the mirrors on the ceiling, she risked a small glance at each of Team 7's exam papers. A moment later, the ninja from Amegakure who was sitting next to her glared when she had difficulty stifling laughter.

Several of the examiners glanced their way – their eyes narrowed at the site of the now useless chakra strings hanging over the desk – and a moment later the boy sitting next to her backed out of the way when a kunai hit his desk. "You're out," one of the examiners stated with a smirk. TenTen kept her face as schooled as possible as the examiner continued to scoff, "As if we wouldn't notice something that obvious."

"Notice what?" the boy argued.

"No arguing," Ibiki spoke up. "You and your team are out."

He turned back to looking around the room and his eyes narrowed when he noticed Kakashi's kunoichi engrossed in a small book. He looked closer to make sure it wasn't Kakashi's normal book and sighed in relief when he realized that Jiraiya's corruption hadn't made it to her generation just yet. However, he wasn't kind of enough to allow her to continue making a mockery of his exam and he moved back several rows until he reached hers. Snatching the book out of her hands, and contemplating accusing her of cheating, he glanced down at her exam sheet and froze. "Is there a problem?" Sakura asked demurely.

Ibiki glared at her and pocketed the book, although he sorely wanted to rip it in half. "I'll be speaking with your sensei later," he muttered angrily as he walked away angrily. When he noticed her hooded teammate once again snickering silently, he decided to get a bit of revenge on a team who obviously spent too much time with Anko. Before approaching the boy, he walked over to the young examiner on the end and whispered an order to collect Team Kakashi's exam papers separately at the end of the exam. The young man nodded and Ibiki moved back to stand in front of Naruto.

The hooded boy froze when he felt the larger man's shadow over him but forced himself to continue working on his drawing while the man glared at him. He was particularly proud of this piece and could only hope that he would be allowed to have it back so that Anko could enjoy it too. Resisting the urge to snicker anymore – his throat was feeling a bit sore and he didn't want to start coughing – he considered asking if they could have the book back.

When the man was still staring at him five minutes later he glanced up impatiently at the clock and noticed that the first forty-five minutes had passed and they should have been moving on to the tenth question. Instead of attempting to sign – he had no clue if Ibiki knew sign language – he jabbed impatiently at the corner box that explained the tenth question.

"In a hurry to fail it?" Ibiki asked in amusement.

'Just want to finish,' Naruto chanced signing.

"Really you should just be glad that the auto pass allowed the Hokage to nominate your team for this exam. You're lucky Uchiha is on your team since he's why you got it," Ibiki continued quietly. "So do you think you can actually pass this?"

Ibiki's goading was cut off when he had to catch a shuriken aimed at his head. "Got something to say Uchiha?"

"Leave him alone. He's answered your question already. Look down next time," Sasuke stated before sitting back down to finish writing his letter to 'Black Teddy bear' on the backside of his exam paper.

"Excuse me?" Ibiki asked moving forward to stand at the edge of Sasuke's aisle.

'Look down. Don't be a jerk,' Sasuke signed in explanation.

"Can we move on to the tenth question?" another young ninja asked hopefully.

"Fine, put your pencil's down. It's time to begin the tenth question," Ibiki stated, sending one last glare at Kakashi's students before moving back to the front. "The rules for this question are a bit different from the rest of the exam that you just took. Listen carefully because I won't accept any arguments."

He was interrupted when the door was slid open and the teen from Sunagakure entered again. "Have fun with your doll?" Ibiki asked in annoyance. When the teen managed to school his reaction, Ibiki rolled his eyes and added, "Just sit down. It's time for the rules of desperation."

"If you want, you can choose not to take this last question. But choosing to do means your points are automatically reduced to zero. You and your teammates will fail." Ibiki was interrupted again by several outbursts and he waited long enough for the Genin to go silent to continue. "However, if you choose to take this question and answer incorrectly, you will lose the right to take the Chuunin Selection Exam ever again."

"You kids were unlucky," Ibiki continued after several more outbursts. "This year's exam runs by my rules. I was told, though, that I had to give you a way out, which is why you may choose to not take it and try again next year."

Naruto grinned when he deciphered the threat Sasuke had sent through the bracelet. _As if I would quit now_.

"Those who wish to quit now should raise their hands. We'll confirm your number and then you and your team may leave," Ibiki finished.

Team 7 remained silent while Genin around them began lifting their hands to quit. There was a flurry of movement for several minutes as eleven teams were failed and Ibiki frowned at the rookie in front of him as he remained confidently in his place. When Genin stopped raising their hands Ibiki glanced around the room and shrugged to himself before saying, "No time to stretch this out any further. If there are anymore who wish to quit they need to do so now."

When no more hands rose, he nodded. "To everyone still remaining I congratulate you on making good, if risky decisions. All those Genin in this room pass the first exam."

"What…what about the tenth question?" the blond girl from Sunagakure asked.

"Your decision to stay here was your answer to the tenth question," Ibiki explained with grizzly smile.

"Well then what about the other nine questions?" she shouted back. "They were completely pointless!"

"No, they had already served their purpose. This test was a test of information gathering skills," Ibiki explained motioning for two examiners to begin picking up the test papers. The young man he had spoken to earlier made sure to grab Naruto's, Sakura's, and Sasuke's first.

"Because you were told that this was a team test it placed pressure on every one of you to not mess this up for your comrades. But in order to pass, most of you would have had to cheat. We even put two Chuunin who knew all the answers into your numbers so that you could cheat off of them," Ibiki continued. "Those who cheated poorly were of course caught and failed. And yes number 94 it was clever to get your seat mate in trouble," he added glancing at TenTen.

"You should all be aware that as you go further into this exam, there are times that, as Chuunin, information is more important than life. While you are out on missions and on the battlefield lives will be risked and lost for that information," he added removing the bandana from his head and revealing a number of old torture scars. "Information will be most accurate when the enemy does not know you are there. The information you gather can be an important tool in the hands of your comrades and village. Those who did not have the abilities to gather it properly were failed."

"That still doesn't explain the tenth question," Kiba growled.

"That question is the true purpose of this test," Ibiki explained. "To make the decision to take the question can be one of great sacrifice. It is a leap of faith, risking the chance to never again take this test themselves just to allow their teammates the chance of continuing. Once you become Chuunin, you will not be allowed to deny missions simply because of the unknown.

"Such questions will be asked of you every time you receive a mission. No matter what the danger there are missions you will not be able to turn down. The ability to face these with courage is the ability to become a Chuunin. If you cannot risk your life, your goals, your future, you are not ready to become a Chuunin. Cowardly pieces of trash don't have the right to that title or to the upper ranks.

"Simply by choosing to take it you answered the question correctly. Most of you made it through the entrance," he continued taking a moment to glare at Team 7, "And now you've passed the first test. I wish you guys luck, you'll need it."

Once he had finished speaking, he glanced apologetically at the examiners still seated along the windows and sighed as one of them burst inward. Most of the examinees shouted in shock as a black ball uncurled itself to reveal Anko and a large sign that cut Ibiki off from view.

"Listen up maggots! I'm Mitarashi Anko and I'm the examiner for the Second Test. This is no time to be celebrating so let's get going," Anko shouted.

"Mitarashi."

Anko paused in her speech and her shoulders slumped as she turned to frown at Ibiki. "What?" she whined. "Can't you see I'm grandstanding here?"

Ibiki glared and held up the three exams he had had collected. "You wouldn't by any chance know about these, would you?"

"Excuse me?" Anko asked.

Ibiki rolled his eyes and handed the exams to her.

"Wow, these are really tough questions. Do we teach this stuff in the Academy? I don't even think I could answer some of these," she told him glancing over it. "Good thing whoever did these was smart enough to answer a few of them."

"Turn them over Anko," Ibiki growled.

Anko did as he said and snorted before quickly stifling her laughter and looking over at Ibiki innocently. She managed to keep her face straight for a moment before she started cracking up.

"Wonderful, you're turning me into a joke for your fan girls," Ibiki growled.

"Oh, you think these are bad? You should hear them with their sensei. They cracked up when one of the Seven Swordsman recognized him. I thought he was gonna be too humiliated to continue the fight," she told him. "And please refer to them as minions, Naruto and Sasuke don't respond well to the title of fan girl," she added pointing to the glaring Genin. "And why the hell did you let twenty-one teams pass? Do you know how much more difficult my job is going to be with an odd number of teams."

"There are some good ones here. A lot better than your fan girls just don't give them a scroll."

"Minions Ibiki. They are minions," Anko repeated exasperated. "Do you really think Kakashi wants the boys to be called girls? Oh well, I'll just have to do better than you and cut them at least in half."

"So listen up, you have an hour to get ready and be at the next exam site," Anko continued, ignoring Ibiki and turning back to the Genin. "The Chuunin here will tell you how to get to the Forest of Death, understood?" she asked.

When no one dared to argue, Anko nodded and turned back to Ibiki, holding up one of the exams. "Can I keep this one?" she asked indicating the drawing Naruto had worked studiously on. "I mean these other two are obviously for you but I think this one is for me," she explained waving the crude letters from Sasuke and Sakura in front of Ibiki's face.

"Umm…what exactly are we supposed to get ready for?" one of the Genin from Sunagakure asked nervously.

"Why would I tell you that?" Anko asked in confusion. "I mean seriously. I said the Forest of Death; do you think we're going on a picnic?"

The Genin grumbled but got up and left the room following the examiners who would take them to the next stage. "The four of you come with me," Ibiki stated directing Team 7 and Anko to follow him.

"But we have to go find Iruka-sensei," Sakura interrupted.

"Eh, why?" Anko asked.

"Naruto's throat is getting worse. He coughed up blood earlier," Sakura explained catching Ibiki's attention.

"How long has this been happening?" Anko asked stopping short.

"A week," Sasuke muttered.

Anko turned to the blond with a surprisingly disappointed gaze. "I thought we talked about this. You said you were gonna tell us if it got worse," she said.

'Only today,' Naruto insisted. 'It happened once earlier, more today.'

"Still, this is bad," Anko muttered. "Let's get Kakashi and then we'll figure out what to do. Maybe the Hokage will just pull you from the test. That wouldn't be that big of a deal."

"So what did he get us?" Sakura asked giggling.

"Get you?" Ibiki asked.

"You're going to yell at him right, like because of our behavior?" Sakura asked.

"You brats have no respect. Although it isn't that surprising. Did you ever return the weapons you took from the Academy?"

"Umm…" Sakura trailed off glancing at her teammates nervously.

"You…you broke into the Academy storeroom?" Iruka asked as they stepped out of the exam room where he had been waiting for them in the hall.

"When was this?" Anko asked.

"About a week ago. When we were with the Brat and his friends," Sasuke told her.

"When I was at that meeting. Is that what you normally do when I'm not there to guide you?" Anko asked gaining snickers from the three Genin. "I couldn't be prouder," she told them pretending a wipe a tear out of her eye.

"What did you take? If someone notices it missing and they trace it to you-"

"No one'll notice it missing. Those kunai and shuriken props used to go missing during practice all the time. You used to complain about how frequently they had to be replaced," Sakura told him.

"And the other stuff hadn't been touched in years," Sasuke added.

"I can't believe you three," Iruka muttered.

"It's a good thing you're here though," Anko told him.

"Not really. I need these three to come with me. The Hokage needs to tell them what they need to do during the second exam and they only have two hours," Iruka explained.

"Ooh, not good," Anko muttered.

"Can just Sasuke and I go meet with him? Naruto needs to meet with that medic. He coughed up blood today, like three times," Sakura explained.

Ibiki watched in amusement as the boy in question managed to avoid any notice while his teammates spoke and decided to confirm his suspicions. He turned to Naruto but was cut off before he even began to speak when Iruka reached out to grab Naruto's shoulder and accidentally knocked his hood off. "We'll try to make the Hokage's visit short and I'll go see if Tsumura can meet with him quickly at the tower," Iruka claimed finally getting a hand on Naruto's shoulder and pulling him closer.

Anko had stilled when she noticed Ibiki's gaze growing dark and she quickly muttered, "I'll go get Kakashi and have him meet you at the tower," before taking off in the opposite direction.

"Was there anything you needed Morino-san or were you just going to yell at Kakashi?" Iruka asked.

"I think I'll just go yell at Kakashi and Anko," Ibiki stated turning on his heel and walking away from them.

Iruka blinked at the sudden anger in the man's voice but shrugged it off as he led the Genin out of the building.

_**X**_

"Kakashi!" Anko shouted skidding into the lounge where the rest of the Konoha Jounin sensei had been awaiting the end of the exam.

"Yes?"

"Firstly here, they won the bet and Ibiki's gonna come yell at you soon," Anko stated foisting the exam papers on him. "And secondly you're supposed to meet your team in the Administration building; the Hokage needed give them their assignments. And lastly goodbye, I never really liked you but I'm going to miss you because Ibiki's going to kill me as soon as he sees me," Anko finished taking off out the window and leaving a stunned silence behind her.

Kakashi finally dropped his gaze to the three tests in his hands and had to cover up his snickers when he realized what they were. He was in the process of folding them away when Ibiki stalked into the room. "The rest of you get out of here and find out whether or not your teams passed," he growled leveling a glare at Kakashi.

Several of the sensei glanced at Kakashi nervously and Gai lagged behind before he noticed that Kakashi seemed to be expecting Ibiki's reaction and took off to find his team. "Do you need something?" Kakashi asked when the room was empty.

"I was going to yell at you about disciplining your students but Anko's reaction suggests that you told them to cause trouble for me so I'm going to ignore it for now. I'll even ignore the blatant insults that they addressed me with. Instead we're going to talk about Uzumaki."

"Oh," Kakashi responded a bit put out. "Well, if you aren't going to yell at me, then I really do need to meet up with my team before they finish up in Administration."

"Not so fast," Ibiki told him moving to catch Kakashi by the neck. "Uzumaki, spill it."

"Huh? Spill what? He's mute and we've been training the team as silent. Is there something else you should be told?" Kakashi asked.

"You're either an idiot or you think I'm one," Ibiki growled.

"We aren't idiots. We just weren't told the truth. And leave Anko alone, she doesn't have a choice in the matter," Kakashi answered bluntly.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Ibiki asked.

"Suit yourself. I have to go meet my team. And I mean it: leave Anko alone. You're scary, but I know what you're capable of and I'm still better," Kakashi stated walking out of the room.

_**X**_

"Thank you for coming," the Hokage welcomed as the three Genin were led into his office. "I'll be quick as I know we have little time and you do need a few minutes to prepare yourselves."

"As the three of you were told, because of the auto-pass you are required to take a more difficult exam then your classmates. Traditionally it would be a completely separate test; however, with the arrival of a new village we decided there was another appropriate option," the councilwoman, Utatane Koharu, explained.

"This new village, Otogakure no Sato, caught our attention and was invited to compete. They sent a single team who has made it into the second exam. Originally, you were allowed to compete because we intended to have you fight them, learning of their abilities, before taking them out and preventing them from making it to third round. However, your mission has now changed," Mitokado Homura added.

"With the inclusion of Kumogakure no Sato's two teams there is a new concern. There are two Hyuuga competing in this exam and since neither was disqualified during the first round, they now go into an arena where open combat is expected. Hyuuga Neji is an accomplished Genin with two equally accomplished teammates. Their sensei has warned them that they are to finish the exam as quickly as possible and avoid the teams from Kumogakure," the Hokage explained. "Hyuuga Hinata creates a different problem, and this is where you come in."

"While Hinata is a capable kunoichi, she often lacks conviction. The teams from Kumogakure are more experienced than her own who has yet to face combat during missions. You on the other hand have faced combat and have proven quite capable of handling opponents who seem more experienced. During this exam, it is not your goal to pass, as other teams need to in order to be considered for promotion. Your goal is to see to it that Team 8 remains safe while they are in the Training Area 44. Whether or not they pass is up to them. You are to make sure that no harm comes to them from the teams from Kumogakure," Homura finished. "If while doing that you are able to complete the exam's requirements then you will most certainly be allowed into the third exam; however, you will be judged mainly on your performance guarding Team 8."

"What about Naruto? That woman saw us. She recognized him," Sakura insisted.

"We are aware of that. However, Kumogakure's attention on the Hyuuga has been long term. Their arrival here came before they knew Uzumaki was even still alive. Any change in orders would be coincidental. It may be that when they have the choice they will choose to focus on your team, allowing Team 8 to escape. We are confident in your abilities that if this becomes the case, you will be able to handle it," Koharu assured her.

"But he's-" Sakura was cut off when she felt a sharp shock of chakra on her wrist. She looked at Naruto in surprise but the stony look on his face brought her up short. She turned back to the Council and the Hokage a bit nervously. "Alright. We understand."

"No, it's not alright," Sasuke countered.

"We'll handle it," Sakura stated firmly, glaring at Sasuke.

The Uchiha looked at her in disbelief, but the Hokage and the Council chose to dismiss them and any concerns over Team 7's welfare. "Good luck then. We'll leave you to prepare for the exam. You have a little over an hour before you should head to the exam area," Koharu told them bowing in dismissal.

Sasuke followed his teammates out of the room before turning on them in the hallway. "What the hell are you two thinking?" he growled in the empty hallway. "This is exactly what almost got you killed in Sarutoshi."

'No. That was communication,' Naruto corrected.

"No, it was not taking into consideration one of our members' weaknesses. Then you couldn't communicate with us, now you're not at full capacity. If laughing can set you off then strenuous breathing probably can as well so you can't fight at full ability," Sasuke retaliated.

"Sasuke. It's a mission," Sakura said quietly.

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"It's a mission. That's why we have to do this. I know we were trying to aggravate him but did you at least listen to Morino-san?" Sakura asked. "Sometimes for the sake of the mission you have to do things that may not be in your best interest. As they said, the teams from Kumogakure may decide that Naruto is the easier target. All we have to do is distract them while Team 8 finishes the exam."

"Who cares about Team 8? If Hyuuga isn't capable of defending herself then she shouldn't be taking the exam," Sasuke shot back.

"But they can't force her to quit. This isn't just a test; it's a mission," Sakura told him not losing her resolve. "We can't back out. Naruto knows this. It isn't about our safety; it's about Team 8's."

"That's crap Sakura. This is an exam. And they're…they're testing us," Sasuke trailed off losing steam as he finally realized his teammates were right and that even if he really didn't agree with them there was no way to talk them out of it. "Let's just go get our mission gear," he added.

"Already have it for you," Kakashi claimed dropping their bags in front of them. "I had Iruka and Sanzo get it together so that I could spend a bit of time explaining something to you," he explained.

Sakura nodded and then glared at her sensei when she heard the low whine coming from inside her bag. "Oops, forgot I put him in there," Kakashi told her. "Anyways, although in the end Ibiki decided not to yell at me for your behavior you still earned these," he added holding out three long boxes.

* * *

**Agent's Spiel: **To repeat what I said above updates may be irregular over the summer due to computer issues.

Look at the very end for a full list of nicknames used so far.

(Snerk) Dragonball. I couldn't resist.

Most of Ibiki's speech is paraphrased from the manga, but a few lines were taken directly from Chapter 40. If someone thinks it's necessary I'll add more specific citations.

I'm actually getting really annoyed with my characterization of TenTen. She works while I'm writing her parts, but once I start to go over them I don't like how they've turned out. She just sounds like every other girl I've written for the most part.

By now, the vagueness surrounding the Naruto/Anko thing is overly obvious but I'm going to drag it out for a bit longer because those conversations are funnier to write. If you haven't figured it out yet then I recommend that you reread quite a bit of this story because the hints have been there for a while and it really isn't difficult to figure out.

Poor Houkou (Sakura's puppy) must hate the men on her team. They're so mean to him. I have a feeling that if he was a cat I wouldn't write so much abuse.

If you can't guess what their presents are you'll find out next chapter. There was originally a long flashback to explain the bet but it got moved to next chapter because the information in it is actually more relevant to their actions in the Forest of Death. I'll also tie up most of the loose ends from this chapter in the next one so feel free to bring them up but don't worry too much.

**Nicknames:**

Most used:

Kakashi – Pervert

Iruka – Sensei

Sakura – Pinky (and occasionally Blossom)

Sasuke – Hunter (occasionally Bastard)

Naruto – Fox

Anko – Orange

Houkou (Sakura's puppy) – Pup

Others:

Third Hokage – Old Man

Konohamaru – Brat

Lee – Beast

Gai – Green

Neji – White (because of his eyes)

TenTen – Kunai

Kotetsu and Izumo – Monster 1 & 2 (Naruto never really forgave them for almost drowning him and he typically just uses the word 'Monster' without distinguishing which one he means. 1 & 2 are assigned during conversation on the occasions they are used.).

Genma – Jerk (Sakura relayed Genma's comment about 'keeping Anko in line')

Ibiki – Black (occasionally Black Teddy bear – but mainly just when Anko is around or times like this when they want to annoy him)

(Others will come up and I'll put up an updated list every few chapters for you guys.

Just a random note in case you were curious, Naruto comes up with the majority on his own on the fly. Some, like the change to Pinky for Sakura, are influenced by others, in that case Anko. Others reflect the situation in which he met the person and that context becomes very important for figuring out who he means. Context in general is very important because some (like Kunai) are common words that would come up in other situations. This is good for his teammates because they often understand the context; an outsider probably would not.

Reviews (Damn there were a lot of you this time; thank you so much for the support):

_Kalisko, Azamiko, Ryo Hoshi, show.me.the.stars, Amsuhl, Ryo Hoshi, Tombadgerlock, Kage Husha, someone179, Ero-kun, ADD Kyuubi Naruto, Pawz4thought, Crystal Cat-chan, Katsheswims, Suki1, Haruka-Hime, crystal starlight, Marz1, Tetsu-sama, Bobboky, Hebi R, inudreamer, myinuyasha04, DarkRavie, digiMist, Shimo Ino, -w- easy enough, Afira, insanechildfanfic, MelissaKS, H.E. Gray, KunoichiDreamer, KonKon-Chan, Nebula1701, Ellenlome, WITCH WERE, MadaMag, StoryTagger, Justhere101, InARealPickle, risika67, Allison, AznPuffyHair, Blood Zephyr, Khellan Rafe, Lord-Scruffy, Gabwr, rogue solus, Lilith-kv, 2stupid, red-crecent-moon, arcamedeus, kcourtkat, Fate, TheOtaku Akatsuki_


	17. Snakes I

**Agent's Spiel**: Pretty short this time. I had more written but any further and there weren't any good cut offs. I'm gonna try and have the rest of this chapter plus a bonus or something next month. In the meantime, consider checking out my deviantart page (homepage link in my bio). My art isn't great but I'm gonna work on putting stuff up there at least once a week or something and anything that isn't original characters will probably be related to my fanfics.

Like last chapter, some of the dialogue at the beginning is either taken from or paraphrased from lines in Chapter 44.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language; I'll probably use more than one form of sign language but I'll denote that in the sentence, it will still be within single quotes ''.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Snakes**

Team 7 attempted to stay at the back of the crowd once they reached the area outside the fenced in training field. When Anko appeared in front of one of the gated entrances, they made sure that they were behind several taller Genin from Leaf and Rain.

"Welcome to the stage for the second Test, Practice Area 44; also known as, the Forest of Death," Anko declared brining the Genin's attention to her. "It won't take long to learn why it's called the Forest of Death."

"Think it'll be as bad as that island?" Sakura muttered.

"Little children who misbehave are quickly killed here," Anko added when several of the Genin grumbled at her grandstanding.

Sasuke ignored most of it in favor of surveying the crowd in search of their soon to be opponents. He turned back to his teammates when he noticed one of the Genin from Kusagakure watching them.

"Now before you get started and we unlock the gates for you, there's something I have to pass out," Anko stated holding up a stack of paper.

"Another written test!" the hooded genin from Sunagakure shouted out angrily.

"Depends on what you consider a test. I guess you could consider it a competency test since I think it should be a requisite that all Genin know how to write their own names. But no, these are simply agreement forms. There will be deaths in there," Anko claimed pointing to the forest behind her. "And if I don't have you sign these, I'll have to deal with a lot of paperwork because of it. So everyone take one of these and I'm going to explain the second test. Afterwards, you sign this and each team checks in at that booth there," she continued nodding her head towards a booth manned by three Chuunin examiners.

"Simply put, this is a test of survival. The area behind me is surrounded by fence with forty-four locked gates. There's a river that runs through the forest and a tower in the center. From the gates to the tower is about ten kilometers.

"During the test for survival, there is a task you must complete. Using all of your ninja skills, you will compete in a scroll battle. There are no rules to govern your combat in there. You must fight over these two scrolls, 'Heaven' and 'Earth'.

"There are sixty-three people here, twenty-one teams. Ten will get the 'Heaven' scroll; eleven will get the 'Earth' scroll. To pass this test, you and your team must make it to the tower with both scrolls. Of course, this means that only ten teams may pass. And of course since I don't make anything easy, there's a time limit. You have exactly five days, whether you pass or fail, you will not leave this forest until one hundred and twenty hours have passed."

Sasuke sneered when he heard Chouji's shout of "What about dinner?" but he was more concerned about the growing feeling of dread in his stomach.

"You're all trained Genin, finding food shouldn't be hard for any of you in this particular forest. Just watch out for man-eating beasts, poisonous insects and plants, any possible cannibals among your numbers, that sort of stuff.

"As the days go on, the distance to the goal will become farther and there will be less time to rest. Honestly, the chances of even five teams passing are pretty low. Some of you will die; some of you will lose your scrolls.

"Now, while there are no rules for combat, there are circumstances for disqualification. Of course, the easiest way to be disqualified is to have one of your teammates die or get lost in there; you can't pass unless all three of you are together and alive. Then there's simply failing in the task of gaining both scrolls. You cannot quit in the middle, the gates will be opened to let you in and then locked behind you. They will not be opened until the time limit is up.

"The final rule is that you must not look inside the scroll until you make it to the tower. As Chuunin, you will be asked to handle classified information. This is to test your trustworthiness." When there were no arguments or outbursts Anko nodded and finished up, "That's it for me. Exchange the three forms for your scroll and choose a gate to get ready for the start. I'd say don't die or wish you luck, but I don't really care about any of you."

The teams milled around for a bit before one of the Chuunin at the booth stood up and called out that it was time to hand in their forms. Team 7 moved towards it with a crowd but Anko pushed them out before they could receive their scroll from the Chuunin. "You get the rest of these guys set up, I'll handle them," she ordered.

Outside the booth, Anko pushed them away towards the rest of the Genin. "Just hang tight 'til we're set," she whispered.

They were standing by innocently when Sakura heard a grating voice that she had been hoping to avoid during the exam. "Just so you know forehead we're going after you."

Sakura tried to keep her mouth shut but she couldn't help but ask, "Are you serious?"

"This fighting, it's too troublesome. Going after you guys, with Naruto on your team. That's our best bet," Shikamaru stated agreeing with Ino. He watched Naruto patiently for a reaction but noticed the blond only turned away to look at the examiner; when she gave the boy a sympathetic glance Shikamaru frowned, _How do they know each other? They acted familiar earlier too._

"And what's this? You made fun of my earrings back at your place and now you're copying us?" Ino joked.

"Not by choice. We argued against having to wear these," Sakura muttered not bothering to look at the other kunoichi as Sasuke fought the urge not to turn around and glare at the other team and the attention they were bringing to themselves.

"No wonder, at least ours are fashionable," Ino sneered. "I'm not quite sure what you were going for there," she added flicking at the single gleaming earring on Sakura's right tragus. "Do you think it makes you look tough? And once again, the matching coats just don't work. I can understand wanting to be like Sasuke-kun but don't you and Naruto think you're taking it a little too far?"

Sakura opened her mouth to retort when Sasuke wheeled around on Ino. "Shut up Yamanaka. You know nothing about my teammates so don't you dare waste our time trying to insult us just to calm your own nerves. If your team is stupid enough to cross us during this exam don't expect to pass in one piece," he growled.

Ino froze but before she could regain her composure, Anko shouted, "Everyone follow an instructor and go to your gate. We'll start in fifteen minutes." After a moment, she motioned for Team 7 to follow her and led them away from the pack. "Team 8 got gate 12 so you guys'll go in at gate 13," she explained.

Once there she pulled out three scrolls and began juggling as she eyed Team 7 poignantly. "Well, first off, the Council told me that I could break a bit of news to you. While they said that you would have a fair chance of doing more than just babysitting Team 8, that was a bit of a lie. In reality, we have an odd number of teams and I don't want to put half a pair of scrolls inside that forest. Therefore, to make this test harder for you, you get this," she told them tossing them a scroll.

"It's blank," Sakura declared after looking it over.

"In order to actually complete anything but your assigned task, you'll have to take out at least two teams to get the required scrolls. And if you lose that scroll, which isn't actually blank, you can't move into the third round even with a 'Heaven' and 'Earth' scroll. Understood?"

"Yeah, you really do like causing pain and suffering," Sasuke muttered.

"Obviously," Anko grinned unlocking the gate in front of them and glancing at her watch. "Just another minute or two. Now, what did Tsumura say?" she asked.

"Huh?" Sakura asked.

"Tsumura, the medic you were supposed to go see. The only medic the Hokage allows to handle Naruto's case. What did he say?" Anko asked.

"Oh that, we didn't get the chance to go see him, but Naruto's been fine since we left the exam room," Sakura assured her.

"What!" Anko shouted.

"Don't worry," Sakura grinned, ducking by her and pushing the gate open. "It's time right? We can go in? Okay, bye!" she finished darting into the forest with her teammates right behind her.

"Hey wait a minute! Get back here!" Anko shouted following them in. She trailed off when they refused to slow down and turned back around to lock the gate. Outside field forty-four, she rushed back to the booth and barked, "Keep an eye on things, I'll be back in a few hours."

Without giving the Chuunin a chance to argue Anko took off back towards the village. It took her two hours to track down Iruka only to find him looking rather distraught as well. "You didn't take him to Tsumura?" she bit out.

"Kakashi met them before I got back to the tower and I couldn't find them. Did you pull them out of the exam?" Iruka asked hopefully.

"No, they took off into the forest right after they told me and I couldn't chase after them very far," Anko admitted. "Why did Kakashi meet them?"

"He had to give them a crash course in the Amarante Code and give them those tanto he had made," Iruka explained.

"Amarante Code? They've gotten that far?" Anko asked.

"I didn't think they had but we wanted to push ahead so I told him he could give them a few basic code words and then I'd do the rest once they exam was over."

"Mitarashi, the Hokage has us out looking for you. He says you need to get back to Area forty-four."

Anko glared at the administrative ninja who had walked up to her but sighed it off. "Go tell Kakashi about his student. We'll probably at least need Tsumura ready to see him the minute the exam is over," she sighed taking off. _I knew challenging the kids to do anything would just goad them into trouble. I need to grow up_, she whined to herself as she headed back to the forest.

* * *

**Agent's Spiel:** The tragus is the cartilage in front of the ear canal. If you want a better idea just look it up on wikipedia. The earrings that they are wearing are like the fake cartilage rings some people wear, they're half circles that pinch around an area of the ear. They are meant to go with their 'look' which is a bit edgy.

The Amarante code. Confession time, I actually came up with this code for an original story that probably won't ever be written. It was created by Amarante Aoi – an original character from the original story that has absolutely nothing to do with ninja. For the sake of incorporation, in this story Aoi (female) created it less than a decade before the current series as an alternative ANBU code. As the code words get used I'll put them at the bottom of the page with a definition. But in the text you'll have to use context to try and figure out what they mean.

Thanks to all my reviewers, I'll make sure to list you all next time.

**Question time:** I was thinking the other night (okay like a month ago) about the current Naruto fandom. I started watching Naruto almost five years ago and have been hooked since then but I was curious about how you guys came into the fandom and what keeps you around. I haven't watched the anime since the fight between Naruto and Sasuke at the Valley of the End but are most of you guys mainly anime fans, or do you read the manga like me? Even more curious, are any of you guys newer to the fandom, like say through Naruto subs on cartoon network? I'm just curious but I'd love hearing from you.


	18. Snakes: Interlude I

**Agent's Spiel**: Okay a real quick note. The last chapter that I posted was technically 'Snakes II'. But I deleted that in June/July because I really wasn't happy with it and that was making it really difficult to write the next part.

Because I was having so much trouble writing out my original plan for this chapter, I took a break and ended up writing this interlude. It wasn't in my original outline to check in with any of these individual's during the exam, but I like the way it came out and hopefully it will tide you over a bit longer until I can finally write the exam from Team 7's perspective.

I know this doesn't really make up for my very long absence, but hey life happens. In the future, if I disappear for long stretches from this site check the homepage link in my bio. It'll take you to a blog that is only for fanfiction and I've been trying to update occasionally there even when I don't have a story chapter to post to at least let people know I'm not dead and I haven't abandoned any of these fics.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language and other forms of communication (Amarante Code begins to be used in this chapter). I'll denote which is being used but you'll probably pick it up quickly on your own.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Snakes: Interlude**

Anko had spent her entire run back towards Area 44 berating herself. So, of course, when she arrived, she was in a _very_ foul mood. Her mood remained so foul that evening that the Chuunin assigned to work with her had remained as far away as possible. Of course, that only served to piss her off more as not a single one bothered to ask her what was wrong. She wasn't _that_ scary. _Okay maybe I am_, she grinned to herself some time after midnight.

She was still pissed off that Naruto and his team had taken off into the exam without first checking with his doctor. She had wracked her brains trying to figure out exactly why Sakura and Sasuke had decided to do so even after their last experience. None of the trio had shown any real interest in either of the Hyuuga before that day and she couldn't figure out why they would risk placing themselves in danger over something so trivial.

But they had.

And she had to live with it and trust in the training that she, Kakashi, and Iruka had provided them with. And she did. All three had taken to their new skills quite well. That was why Kakashi had nominated them in the first place.

But that didn't drive away the sick feeling in her stomach. The one that had kept her wide awake well into the night. The one that had left her unable to enjoy the occasional screams as some stupid Genin got themselves into trouble.

Because every scream shook her more as she worried that it might be _her_ Genin screaming. And she knew that if that was the case it wouldn't be because they were stupid and had gotten themselves into trouble. It would mean that trouble had found _them_. And they might not be able to handle that if Naruto's condition worsened at some point.

And it would worsen. Tsumura had told her that much when the Hokage had finally given him clearance to tell her what the hell was going on. Because the poison wouldn't leave Naruto's system and the Kyuubi's chakra wasn't going after _it_ just the damage it caused. And that was wearing him down. And so he was healing less frequently than he had been.

She knew Kakashi was worried too. He wouldn't have given his team those stupid necklaces or fake earrings if he wasn't. He also wouldn't have been wearing a matching necklace under his own flak vest so that he could monitor their communication.

And then there was Ibiki. Because she had been expecting him to ambush her ever since she had taken off from the Academy. But he had never shown up and she was almost afraid of what Kakashi might have said to him.

All Anko knew as she continued to stare up at the moon was that she couldn't deal with it anymore. She was not used to running away from her problems. But that was all that she had been doing for over a decade when it came to her biggest problem. And shortly before she finally drifted off to sleep she vowed that she would stop. Because if she didn't face it now she would never be able to. And knowing the missions that lousy little brat would eventually be assigned to would be ten times worse than anything Area 44 had to offer she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she let her cousin run off on one of those. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she let him die off somewhere not knowing anything.

So he would learn.

As soon as his team made it to the tower, she would tell him.

Hatred she could deal with.

* * *

**Agent's Spiel: **Notes are up on the blog (follow the homepage link in bio). There's one post that's specifically about this chapter and another one that's about the chapter I deleted. If you remember a chapter that had Team 7 meeting up with Team 8 in the forest then you should read that note as well.

For future reference the notes are in the blog archive for September of '09.

Reviews:

I know that I have been absolutely horrible about getting back to reviewers and there were simply too many of you from the most recent chapters to list here. I guarantee you that I do read and enjoy every single one of them. I love hearing that people enjoy something I'm working on, so this time I'm just giving a very huge "Thank you" to all of you. I'll try to be better about responding to you guys individually in the future.


	19. Snakes: Interlude II

**Agent's Spiel: **This was actually fun to write. Ino is, after all, a teenage girl who still has a lingering crush on Sasuke. She's not the _most_ rational of people, but I hope I managed to portray her as a bit insightful as well. She's not meant to come across as a complete brat, just a little one who had her feelings hurt.

And yes, I know these interludes are short. When we get back to real chapters they will be longer, but I'm doing what I can right now to keep up with this story and work through writer's block so you get short updates for now.

Oh! And a quick apology to those who had to review last chapter by sending me a pm. I forgot that it would count reviews on the deleted chapter and not let people review on the new one, sorry about that.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language and other forms of communication (Amarante Code begins to be used in this chapter). I'll denote which is being used but you'll probably pick it up quickly on your own.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Snakes: Interlude**

Ino was furious.

More furious than she had ever been before.

And it had been a long time coming too. Like an entire week coming.

And it was _all_ Haruno Sakura's fault.

She just _knew_ it was.

It had been bad enough that her _own father_ had dragged her away from work to visit the Haruno's when she had specifically told him that if Sakura wanted to renew their friendship after months of ignoring her then it would be up to Sakura to do.

But no.

He had forced her to go along anyways. And to show up in the other girl's kitchen and have Sakura act like not a day had passed since their graduation from the academy had been humiliating. Sakura had stood at the sink, insulted her to her face, and then had the audacity to try and bring her in on some plan to sneak out like they were still the friends they had been.

Ino had been beside herself.

And the way she had talked about _Sasuke_. Ino had known her crush had been a bit silly. She knew it had been part of the fun of their rivalry. Just another competition that admittedly either girl would have been thrilled to win. But Sakura had spoken of him so casually. A few insults thrown in for good measure.

And then Sasuke had actually shown up. Willingly! To deliver a simple message that could have been sent by anyone. But he had brought it. And they had _talked_. It was clear that they _had_ grown closer during their time as teammates. And it wasn't fair that Sakura had gone and done that without giving Ino the opportunity as well. Or that he was still so quick to throw her off and ignore her the entire time they spoke. And when he had remembered that she was there…treating her like she was intruding on the most intimate of conversations. She felt worthless.

And her_ team_. The way she had spoken about her team and their _special_ training, like the rest of them were woefully behind. The insults towards their time at the Academy. And the missions she had been allowed to go on without a second thought towards the sheer enormity of those opportunities. It had made Ino sick to her stomach to hear that Sakura had already been on two C class missions, both outside of their village and one outside of _Fire Country_. It was unbelievable. And then she had the nerve to go on and point out how little experience they had despite all that.

Genin teams did not get sent out of the village without experienced leaders. And yet Sakura actually believed that _she_ was her team leader. Ino had been willing to believe that when she left the Haruno's house that evening. Sakura was reasonably attractive and capable of being nice and charming. It seemed clear that after the way she had talked about Sasuke, that she probably had a little crush on her new teammate. It wouldn't have been a surprise that a slightly older Genin who had been through a rough time with his previous team might find her endearing and want to build up her self-esteem a bit.

_But Naruto!_

His appearance at the first exam had been appalling. And if that hadn't been enough, Chouji had to go and chastise her when she had laughed about it. Sure maybe her timing hadn't been great and insulting the other Genin in front of room of opponents had been a bit much, but _her own teammate_? That had been too much.

But Shikamaru too?

He had seemed to agree with her that Naruto's presence meant that team was probably weak. He had even said so to their face – during which _Naruto_ of all people had actually remained silent. And then stupid Sasuke had had to threaten them and even Shikamaru seemed wary about _that_. So now they were stuck in a place called the Forest of Death searching out another team instead of the most obvious of weak targets.

This week couldn't get worse.

Ino's only hope was that they ran into another team soon so that she could use some of her anger against them. Then she'd show Sakura who had really improved.

* * *

**Agent's Spiel:** Notes up in the blog again. There are still a few more interludes to go but I decided I would open the offer and ask if there was anyone in particular you wanted to hear from. If you do, just head over to the blog and leave a comment letting me know.

For future reference, notes are up in the blog's archive for September '09.

Thanks again to all my reviewers. Glad to see you were all happy to see this up again.

_Azamiko, Kage Husha, Anarane Sindanarie, evilballoon, kick-aft, show me the stars, dragondancer711, Sprig, Sandy11-1990, Lachwen, StoryTagger, Suki1, Rangerfan58, Fritter, CYBRSAPPHIRE, jamie-soo90, Dan, Collie, camarts13_

I'm sorry to the two of you who aren't happy with it. I would point out that this is a fanfiction and that I'm just writing it for fun so I have no intention of being 100 percent accurate if that takes the fun out of where I want the story to go. So yeah, it may not follow the themes that you like and the characters abilities may be a bit off. If that really bothers you, fanfiction probably isn't going to offer you a lot of enjoyment.


	20. Snakes: Interlude III

**Agent's Spiel:** Sorry it took a while to get this one up. I originally had planned to put up a different one next and it was already written, but then I decided it would work better if this one went up first so I had to write it.

Oh! Before I forget, if you haven't read Ino's interlude, go back one chapter and read it first. The order doesn't really matter, but I updated once over the weekend and there were some problems with the website – never did figure out exactly what they were – but the chapter wasn't always showing up so some of you might have missed it. Thanks to all the people who let me know when it wasn't working, I tried to keep the blog updated about it but considering the fact that Fanfiction never got back to me, I kind of just had to wait it out like the rest of you.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language and other forms of communication (Amarante Code begins to be used in this chapter). I'll denote which is being used but you'll probably pick it up quickly on your own.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Snakes: Interlude**

Kakashi was well on his way to getting drunk and he was well aware of it. He was also too far gone to stop and drag himself away from the bar. He knew it wasn't remotely appropriate for someone of his status. In fact, he was certain that the moment his students found out about it – and they _would_ find out – that it would just be another reason for them to doubt him more.

Kakashi also knew that he really shouldn't have been trying quite so hard to make his own students doubt him. Not after all the hard work he had put into training them alongside Anko and Iruka. As much as all three of them would prefer that the trio _not_ go through with all the requirements of an auto-pass, it wasn't fair to Naruto, Sasuke, or Sakura to make the decision for them.

That was why he had let them go into the Forest of Death.

He wasn't stupid, although he knew Iruka thought he was. He wasn't negligent either, although he knew his students thought he was.

He just knew that he had trust his students to make their own mistakes. It was the only way they would learn.

Because it was the only way he had learned.

By losing his father first.

Then Obito.

Then Minato and Anmitsu.

Then Rin, that stupid, stupid girl who just had to take on the damn near suicidal mission and complete it so perfectly that she had ended up dead.

And it had taught him a lot.

It had taught him that getting too attached to people was stupid.

It had taught him that he should never underestimate others' stupidity either. But that it wouldn't help to speak up much. Because no one ever listened to Hatake Kakashi. And it was too late to change that now.

So even after following his students to the Academy to watch over them he hadn't said anything. Not even when Sasuke noted that Naruto had coughed up blood repeatedly over the past week. Or when that woman from Kirigakure had shown up – of course Genma had at least stepped in that time. Or when Sakura had pleaded with him to take Naruto to the doctor before they entered the exam.

Instead he had listened to Naruto. Because Naruto was clearly sick of it. Sick of being weak. Sick of having people underestimate him. Sick of people thinking he wasn't smart enough to know what was going on.

Because Naruto knew what was going on. He knew Kyuubi was clueless about how to heal the damage. He knew that it would only get worse. He knew he had to keep pushing through or he would lose months of hard-earned rehabilitation.

So Kakashi had let them go. Once again against his better judgment. Instead, he had headed back to the Hokage's office to ask about the one person the medics thought would be able to heal Naruto permanently. Only to learn that there was still no news. Sure Tsunade's whereabouts had been researched. But every time the Third thought he had her pinned down, she would slip away with Shizune and that stupid pig of theirs.

And so Naruto would have to wait. And cope as well as he could.

And so Kakashi ordered another drink.

His thoughts were already turning to drunken plans. Stupid plans really, but the Uchiha compound would be an easy target with Sasuke away in the exam. He had even decided where to put the charges. And what jutsu to use to set them off.

And then, well then Gai had to show up. With Asuma and another Jounin in tow. And instead he got distracted and just sat at the bar trying to ignore them. And he just kept drinking, hoping he would eventually be too drunk to run straight for the Forest and find his students and pull them out. Because he really didn't care what happened to a few Hyuuga who were too proud to pull themselves out of the exam. And then proud enough to demand that the Hokage assign _his_ students to watch out for them.

"What was up with Mitarashi this afternoon?"

Kakashi gazed at the dark haired woman for a moment before he recognized her. The new Jounin, Kur…something. Asuma had spent the past month talking about her every time he had managed to track Kakashi down. He guessed she was fairly attractive, but he had enough problems looking at his own red eye – and now his students'; he didn't think he could handle that on someone else.

"Kakashi?" Gai leaned over him curiously when Kakashi failed to answer.

"What?"

"What was up with Anko? Didn't know you had gotten close to her lately," Asuma asked, repeating the woman's question – probably to score points with her if her kind smile was anything to go by.

"She pissed off Ibiki on accident," Kakashi said.

"Anko doesn't piss off Ibiki on accident Kakashi. On purpose, yeah all the time, but not on accident, she's too smart for that."

Kakashi paused to stare at Asuma. _Did he really just pay her a complement?_

"Well she managed it this time. Not her fault really. If he should be angry at anyone, it's your dad," Kakashi muttered gaining a snort out of Asuma.

"What'd the old man do this time?"

"He forgot to tell Ibiki about one of my students," Kakashi asked, ordering another drink. He glared at Gai when the man stopped the bartender from filling his order.

"Who? Uchiha?" Kurenai asked.

"No. Uzumaki," Kakashi corrected.

"What?"

All three were now looking at him intently. "Is that who the other one was? The one Lee-kun kept ranting about?" Gai asked.

"Probably. They didn't like Lee much either."

"I don't remember an Uzumaki on the roster," Kurenai stated.

"We didn't put him on the roster. He just went straight onto my team."

"That sounds odd."

"Neh, his kids got auto-passes," Asuma said. "Right?" he asked, turning from Kurenai to Kakashi.

"To make sure I didn't fail them."

"Not surprising my rival. You have been too harsh on previous students. It was good to hear that you took to these three so well. Haruno-chan was very complementary."

"Really?" Kakashi mused. "Normally she just acts like a brat."

"I still don't understand what this has to do with Mitarashi and Morino," Kurenai said.

Asuma and Gai mirrored her confused look for a moment before they noticed the odd look in Kakashi's eye – the closest to amusement that either had ever seen in his face. "My rival, what are you saying?" Gai asked in concern.

"Nothing. Nothing. Ibiki just feels left out of the loop. He hates it when he should know more than he does."

"What should he have known about this Uzumaki kid?" Asuma asked, trying to remember who they were talking about. He didn't think he had ever met an Uzumaki before.

"I thought I heard the Uzumaki boy failed his final exam at the Academy. After desecrating the mountain, wasn't it?" Kurenai asked.

"Just a prank that got out of hand. The Hokage passed him after Iruka spoke up for him."

"Umino? Haruno mentioned he was teaching an advanced class that your students took. What's he really up to?" Asuma asked. Why hadn't the girl spoken up at her father's house? How had an Academy Student gotten hurt after failing his exam?

"Teaching an advanced class. He's working with your nephew right now. And doing some work for the Academy before he goes back to his old job."

"What was his old job? I thought he had always been an Academy teacher."

Kurenai frowned when all three men turned towards her in amusement. "Umino Iruka, always an Academy teacher? Hell when he first got put in there half the other teachers threw fits. Before that he was a Special Jounin. Never really heard what happened but he got demoted and placed at the Academy," Asuma explained. "Of course now they're panicking without him. Are you foisting your students off on him? Haruno mentioned that Uchiha was staying with him."

"That's Sasuke's choice. And Iruka seems more than happy to have him there with Naruto. They manage to keep each other out of his hair. Besides, if he ever gets bored of them, he can always send them off with Anko."

"Yeah, which brings us back to the original topic. What the hell is going on?"

"Like I said, your dad kept something from Ibiki…all of us actually. Ibiki has since figured it out and now he's pissed off. He won't go after Anko though. We had a talk about that."

"Damn Kakashi. Did you threaten him or something? Are you suicidal?" Asuma asked.

"You certainly are behaving oddly my friend."

"Just working with what I've been given. The rest of it isn't important. I have somewhere else to be," Kakashi muttered, walking away from the bar. He made it out of the door, grinning the whole way, wondering which of the trio he had left behind would get landed with his bar tab.

* * *

**Agent's Spiel:** This wasn't really meant to clear anything up. I just wanted to write about Kakashi now before the next one goes up. That'll take us back to Anko for a bit.

Oh! And since I want to hear from as many of you as possible, I have a question. Do you read any webcomics (or even write/draw one)? I want everyone who reviews to send me the name of one webcomic that they recommend. After all, I clearly need more things to distract myself with if I'm actually managing to get this much work done on this story.

No real notes this time since this one is short. I'll probably have more to say next time.

Reviews:

_Midnight Phase, someone179, show me the stars, kick-aft, The Statue, DarkRavie, Azamiko, Kage Husha, SoulNinjas, evil genus, camarts13, Suki1, myinuyasha04, dragondancer711, kyuubi233, Egotism, koolneko22, GeshronTyler, Water-Soter, GreyGryph, Rangerfan58, SnickyPop, Lachwen, SisterFreaks, umino-gaara_

Also, thanks to everyone who commented on the blog, it's good to see it being used.

Just a note, I really don't like reviewers who make demands. I know you mean well, but I find it rude. If I've made a mistake in the stories settings, I have no problem being told about it but please be polite. I tend set the stories rating and categories right off the bat and sometimes my writing deviates as I get further into the story.

Again, I have no problem making changes if they are appropriate but there's no need to be rude about it.

Also, about beta-readers. I don't use them anymore because I update so sporadically and trying to work around someone else's schedule (or asking them to work around mine) would mean even longer delays. I have no problem correcting grammar mistakes when they've been pointed out to me. Just leave a note on the blog about what chapter the mistake is in and be as specific as possible. If I start getting these corrections, I'll start updating corrected chapters every few weeks. I don't edit my stories heavily because well…I don't really like editing and I consider this just a hobby.


	21. Snakes: Interlude IV

**Agent's Spiel: **Fourth one in the series. I'm gonna be bratty for a moment and admit that I'm kind of sick of hearing (3 interludes in) that people would still rather read a 'real' chapter. These are 'real' chapters. They aren't 'Snakes II' but they are a part of that chapter and are meant to clear up a few things, and make a few others even more confusing (yes I am a bit of a mean writer when it comes to not spelling things out). It's just a little annoying to keep hearing that when I wrote on the blog for the very first interlude that there would be several of these and yet people seemed really surprised in their reviews that I was spending time on multiple ones.

I would really like to write the 'proper' chapter but my brain isn't allowing it at the moment while it is allowing me to work on these. I'd rather get something relevant done than nothing at all.

Who knows, maybe I'll just skip actually writing this from Team 7's point of view and jump straight to the Prelims…nah, I'm not that cruel…or am I?

Oh! And I edited a mistake out of last chapter. Evil Genus told me I had put 'woman from Kirigakure' instead of Kumogakure. It's fixed now, sorry if anyone got confused.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language and other forms of communication (Amarante Code begins to be used in this chapter). I'll denote which is being used but you'll probably pick it up quickly on your own.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Snakes: Interlude**

Anko woke up with the sun early the next morning. Her back was killing her, an obvious punishment for sitting in a poorly chosen spot on a tree branch. She gingerly rolled her shoulders and hopped off the branch hoping that she would be able to sneak away long enough to get something to eat and chase down Kakashi – she really wanted to know how he had managed to keep Ibiki off her back.

Her morning got worse when she found a team of ANBU waiting for her near the small stand that had been erected the day before.

"We need you to come take a look at something," their captain said motioning for her to head away from the forest.

Anko remained where she was standing and crossed her arms indignantly. "I was told to stay here."

"This is an emergency. Ibiki needs your advice," the man stated.

"Like I'd believe that," she snorted. "If he's still pissed off at me and wants to see me then he has to come here."

"This isn't about whatever you and Hatake did to piss him off yesterday. We found bodies within our borders and he wants you to look them over, something about snake bites."

"Is that an accusation?" Anko asked angrily.

"No. You're accounted for already. He still wants you to come look at these."

"Please Anko!" another ANBU on the team spoke up before Anko could retort. The woman took off her mask to look Anko in the eye. "Whatever pissing contest is going on between you, Kakashi, and Morino-san needs to stop for a few hours. Just come look at this."

"Wait…pissing contest? I haven't seen Ibiki since yesterday afternoon. Did Kakashi do something that I missed?"

"Are you going to come with us willingly or do I need to drag you there?" the captain asked ignoring the grin that had spread onto Anko's face. He couldn't understand why Konoha had so many crazy shinobi.

"Fine, fine. But if I get yelled at for leaving my post I'm sending the Hokage straight to you," Anko said, relenting and following the man off the field. "And if Ibiki uses this to yell at me, I'm getting Kakashi and we'll handle it ourselves," she added, grinning at the man's back. She grinned wider when he noticeably stiffened in response, sometimes it was worth it to be scary.

* * *

**Agent's Spiel: **Thanks for all the reviews last time. I compiled a list of all the recommended webcomics that you guys sent me so that other readers can check them out. It's on the blog. So are the notes for this chapter (Ocotober'09 'Juniper – Interlude 4).

**This interlude is mostly unedited. I'll get back to it soon but I wanted to post something so that people knew I wasn't dead.**

Reviews:

_Volunteer Blueberry, Tim, Kage Husha, jazzy2may, The Statue, therhoda, someone179, DarkRavie, November 5__th__, Sandy11-1990, show me the stars, evil genus, phoenix1023, PS, Rangerfan58, GreyGryph, NaylorFan90, InARealPickle, Lita of Jupiter, Novus Ars, Nikari87, Azamiko, AnimeOtaku31821, fionfee, Lady Mazikeen, JoriWinter, Takun18, serbii, nantukoprime, Kick-Aft, Veritas in Sanguine, Suki1, 53r4phim act-alike, dragondancer711, Khellan Rafe,_

_There are more of you, I think, but I haven't consistently checked my email over the past few weeks so for those of you I missed, I'll include you next time. And if I haven't gotten back to you, I'll probably get back to you soon._


	22. Snakes: Interlude V

**Agent's Spiel: **It's been a while since we saw Sakura's father, so I hope you enjoy this.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language and other forms of communication (Amarante Code begins to be used in this chapter). I'll denote which is being used but you'll probably pick it up quickly on your own.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Snakes: Interlude**

"Haruno-san?"

"The Hokage sent for me last night. I believe I have a meeting with him?"

"You do, but he's not in just yet. Would you mind waiting in his office?" the Hokage's assistant asked, ushering Sanzo into the Hokage's office – obviously 'no' wasn't an option.

"It's not a problem," Sanzo muttered as the assistant shut the door on his way out. It wasn't like Sanzo would have bothered complaining if it was a problem…at least not to the poor assistant – Izumo…or Kotetsu, he could never tell them apart. _I wonder if that's who she was planning on setting Genma up with?_

None-the-less, he did intend to bring it up with the Hokage. Except not so much the meeting that the Hokage was late for. More the fact that his daughter was on a team that was given an auto-pass and he hadn't been told.

Not only that, but her sensei was Hatake Kakashi. The son of Konoha's 'White Fang'.

And one of her teammates was Uchiha Sasuke. The very boy Sakura had spent hours pining over daily when she was still an Academy student. And the fact that she had apparently pulled a one eighty and was now dangerously enamored with Mitarashi Anko and her other teammate. _At least with those two I know it has nothing to do with dating and everything to do with training._

But he didn't like the fact that he knew nothing about her teammates. Or her training. Or her current life.

What he did know – or at least heavily suspected – was that his sudden increase of diplomatic missions that kept him out of town constantly seemed to directly coincide with his daughter's training. And more dangerous missions. _What rookie Genin has C class missions this early on? None of her other classmates did._

And he was really hoping that the Hokage would be willing to offer answers.

And maybe explain why he had been summoned for an early morning meeting that the Hokage was now half an hour late for.

Forty five minutes late.

An hour late.

An hour and –

"I apologize for the delay. A situation came up that demanded my direct attention."

Sanzo snapped his attention away from the wall clock and onto the Hokage as he moved to sit behind his desk and stare at Sanzo.

"The first order of business is what I originally called you here for. The Team from Sunagakure no Sato, consisting of the Kazekage's three children, has passed the Second Exam. It would appreciate it if you would take my invitation to the final exam to Suna in person. You won't need to leave yet, but in a week or so, once your daughter has completed the exam and the two of you have caught up."

"Of course. It's rather early for a team to finish isn't it? They have must have finished yesterday evening since you had already called for me last night."

"Yes. Quite the record they've set. Just a little over three hours. I haven't told the head examiner yet. She'd be devastated to hear someone passed it with such ease."

"What about Sakura's team? Were they actually ready for this? She didn't think they were," Sanzo asked before the Hokage could drive the topic too far away.

"Oh no, they were quite prepared. I'll admit we had intended to wait until the next exam to put them through. It's set to be in Kirigakure so that would be part of their 'extra' exam. As it is, with the presence of Kumogakure no Sato and the new village, Otogakure no Sato, we decided that they would be put to better use here. Hyuuga Hiashi was _not_ pleased that his daughter insisted upon taking the exam, even with Kumo's two teams participating."

"No concern for Hizashi's son? Typical," Sanzo muttered.

"Hyuuga Neji, has over a year's experience. He is more accustomed to battle and his teammates are more in tune with the situation. Hiashi had no concerns because Neji did not need them," the Hokage corrected him.

"I'll have to trust that you believe that. You don't normally stick up for him otherwise. But what of my daughter's team? Why did you not tell me about the auto-pass, or about Hatake Kakashi?"

"There was little to be done about the auto-pass. The Council insisted that it be used to place Uchiha Sasuke with Hatake Kakashi. I was not aware that you would have a problem with him."

Sanzo shifted uncomfortably as the Hokage leveled his gaze on him. Hatake Kakashi was one of his favorites, _he never takes well to criticism against Kakashi_. "I have no problems with his mission performance. I have many problems with _him_ as a person. He hasn't exactly proven himself mentally stable over the past few years. It was _celebrated_ when he failed a team by everyone but Maito Gai."

"Maito Gai is your former student. Do you not trust his judgment?"

"In all things but his judgment of other people. He's too trusting. Too convinced that permanent damage can be repaired. You've seen that student of his. That training will lead him to an early grave. He has Gai's dedication, but not his physiology. Gai can't see that. Just as he can't understand how Kakashi could end up being a bad teacher…if he's teaching at all. Sakura mentions Mitarashi Anko frequently as well. I'd be more concerned if Umino Iruka wasn't apparently working with them."

"Both Kakashi and Anko desire to work with this team."

_Crossed the line already? Damn…wait_ – "If Kakashi desired to work with this team why did the Council insist on the auto-pass?"

Sanzo was shocked when the Hokage genuinely smiled in response to his question. "I'm not going to get anything past you, am I? Would you take my assurances that your daughter will be safe as enough? If I assured you that if she desires to leave before joining ANBU that I will not stand in her way?"

"If that final assurance came with one that said she would not face demotion for it, then perhaps. But last I heard, Umino and his teammate were supposedly given the same assurances. One of them waited a decade before finally joining ANBU this past year so that she could finally make it to Jounin. Iruka managed to make it to Special Jounin before you demoted him back to Chuunin. I apologize if this is out of line Hokage-sama, but that doesn't give me much hope in those assurances."

"Yuugao joined ANBU to be with her lover. I don't know anything about previous attempts or failures at attaining Jounin status," the Hokage replied, sighing. "Iruka can be promoted at anytime he chooses, at least up to Special Jounin. His demotion was not a punishment, but it would have looked odd to send him to the Academy as a Special Jounin – after all, he was not well known for liking children."

"Can you just tell me, straightly, why the auto-pass was used? Was there a reason that Kakashi would change his mind after they were forced on him? That doesn't sound like him."

The Hokage steepled his fingers together in front of his face and stared at Sanzo over their tips. "Perhaps not the Kakashi _you_ know."

Sanzo leaned back in his chair but refused to drop the topic, "No, _not_ the Kakashi I know. So why would he change his mind? And if you knew he would do so, why not simply ask a favor of him? Why resort to the auto-pass? Did you need the secrecy surrounding it? Did you want people to believe that Uchiha Sasuke _didn't_ pass on to Genin? Or is this about the third teammate who Sakura refused to name, except to mention that he was injured at the time of the exam?"

"His injuries meant they were unlikely to pass Kakashi's test. He _wouldn't_ have taken a team who failed it," the Hokage admitted.

"You're still dodging the question. Do I need to demand that Sakura be taken off this team to get you to take this seriously? I trust my daughter's abilities, but a situation with this much secrecy does not bode well for the future of her career."

"My apologies Sanzo for causing you to mistrust me. I know you are concerned for your only child. At this time, I can promise that I am considering the safety of all three Genin involved and that I do not believe your daughter will suffer for this at all. If you would like to continue this discussion after the Tournament, we can do so then. Until then…if you would be prepared to leave for Sunagakure in approximately one week, you're dismissed."

* * *

**Agent's Spiel:** I asked this on **21** a little while ago so I figured I would ask it here as well. I've noticed that some reviews use words like 'bro' and 'dude'. Now for me, those are basically gender neutral at this point but I'm just kind of curious…are you all convinced I'm a guy? Apparently some readers of **21** said their impression changed based on the fics they read so I'm just kind of curious. (No I don't care what pronoun you people use and I'm not picking on anyone)

The rest of the notes are up on the blog 'Juniper – Interlude 5' in October's archives. Also up on the blog, if you go back on post 'Juniper Question' I need your opinions on a some future stuff for this fic. It won't come into play for a while, but I'd like to start getting your opinions now.

Oh! And in the chapter notes is the opportunity to get an update like tomorrow! (As long as I don't forget again, but I don't think I will)

First to reviewers I didn't get to last time, I hope got back to some of you directly as well – at least as long as you were expecting it.

_TheWatcherandReader, Lachwen, Kontraband, HolyKnight5, narutorulz95, Pix, Fioreth, EmInArEvOI, Marz1, Artificial Starlight, 9Kyuubi9, Sebine, darksol666, Reimei Yume_

Again, sorry for leaving you off last time. I was really bad about checking my email for a few weeks and then I realized that it had been _weeks_ and not _days_ so I just updated really quickly and didn't take the time to add any more reviewers.

Last chapters reviewers:

_Dareth, EmeraldEyed, Adele19, Novus Ars, Hikari-and-Akari, Blood Zephyr, umino-gaara, Jamie-soo90, Hawkgirl90, Kage Husha, Vanpire, show me the stars, Azamiko, Joe, jazzy2may, myinuyasha04, InARealPickle, Pickles, Katestar98, Sandy11-1990, puregarnet, evil genus, Scarecrowqueen, NekoKriszty, Rangerfan58, Sebine, Ri-Chan 89, Rakugosha, Khellan Rafe, SnickyPop, someone179_


	23. Snakes: Interlude VI

**Agent's Spiel:** Evil (I think this is the same person as Evil Genus on this site but I might be wrong) answered this weeks question correct. So you get an update today!

Oh! I was getting ready to update when I noticed that NekoKriszty answered right too!

Of course since it's still interlude that means 6 in row which is obviously more than is tolerable for some people. I apologize for that.

Also thanks for the answers to my question, for those wondering, I put up an explanation for my name on the blog. I doubt it'll make any sense since it's completely built around an inside joke, but oh well.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language and other forms of communication (Amarante Code begins to be used in this chapter). I'll denote which is being used but you'll probably pick it up quickly on your own.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Snakes: Interlude**

"So where are these snake bites?" Anko asked grumpily as she landed next to Yuugao.

"Ibiki's over there," Yuugao answered, pointing to the man as he stood over three bodies.

Anko squinted but she couldn't see their faces. "And I take that to mean you're all staying here while I face him on my own? Thanks a lot for that," she muttered as moved towards Ibiki and the bodies.

Her stomach plummeted as she got close enough to realize that their faces hadn't been obscured by distance. They were gone. "Not now," she whimpered, as she froze some ten feet from the bodies.

"It's him then?" Ibiki asked, turning around to face her.

"Oh…oh no. He's in the forest Ibiki. I let him into the exam. I have to go!"

Anko's sprint lasted three steps before Ibiki was holding her arms in a vice like grip. "Take a minute, look at them closely, and tell me what you see. Then we can go take care of it," he told her seriously.

"He's in the Forest of Death Ibiki. Those three entered yesterday with the participants. He has to be one of them. You can't keep me here."

"And yet I am. So tell me what you see. I didn't send for you so that you could turn around and try to handle this one your own. If I didn't know about the brat then he probably doesn't either. Naruto's not the target."

"But-"

"Tell me what you see."

"I see three dead Genin who have had their faces stolen. Their identities robbed during death. And the only man I know of who would do that is after my cousin!" Anko shouted, ignoring the bewildered stares of the ANBU behind her.

"I told you. Naruto is not likely to be the target. His participation wasn't broadcasted or even hinted at ahead of time. If it is Orochimaru, he's after someone else. But I'm not letting you go in after him. So tell me what you remember of these three before they entered the training area."

"No, no! The Hokage told me this could happen. I have to go in after them," Anko bit back.

"What do you mean Sarutobi told you this could happen?" Ibiki asked suspiciously. He had never been told that Orochimaru was still an active threat.

"He said if he learned about Naruto that Orochimaru would come after us. That he wouldn't want Minato's kid around long enough to become a threat. I can't leave Naruto and his teammates in there. They have to be pulled from the exam. Kumogakure was bad enough. I have to pull them out," Anko answered, shaking her head. "I have to get Kakashi."

"Hatake's sleeping off a hangover the size of the carved mountain. We'll notify him this afternoon. If you agree that this Orochimaru, then I need to send for the Hokage."

"There's no need. He's already on his way down, but he'd like to make this quick. He has meetings scheduled this morning," the captain behind them stated, staring warily at Anko.

"Ibiki, let me go now. I can handle this, but let me go before the Hokage shows up. Please?"

"No. I'm not making any moves until he's here and gives out the orders. If you try to run off now, I'm putting you in a holding cell until this blows over. Do you understand that?"

"But-"

"You and Kakashi trained those brats and that means they can handle themselves for now. The Hokage will send a team in when he thinks the time is right. But you stay here and do as your superiors tell you."

"And that means that you will not enter the Forest of Death and put yourself in Orochimaru's path. He still holds the key to that seal. We don't know what he could force you to do," the Hokage stated, suddenly standing next to the three dead bodies. "You are certain that these three entered the forest?"

"Yes. Gate twenty something. I'd have to check the registry to see which one it was."

"What village are they from?" Ibiki asked.

"Kusagakure no Sato."

"Unfortunate. I'll have to send someone back with their sensei to explain the situation. Until then, I want this kept quiet. Maro, go back to headquarters and tell the commander that I need to two teams prepared to enter the forest within the hour. Makes sure he knows that Orochimaru is involved. Ibiki, find the Genins' files and give them to him so that they know who they are looking for. And look up what gate they entered through so that they can trace their steps."

The ANBU captain nodded once and disappeared leaving his team behind. Ibiki did the same a moment later, after one last look at the Hokage and Anko. "You three, take the tunnel from headquarters to the tower at the center. Alert those in charge there to the situation, but do not mention Orochimaru. Make sure that if the team from Kusagakure arrives that they are not kept in the same area as the other Genin and send for me. I'll be there this evening no matter what," the Hokage ordered. Without a second glance all three disappeared leaving only Anko and the Hokage behind.

"Naruto's in there. Let me go!"

"Under no circumstances are you to enter the Forest of Death for the remainder of this exam. I'm handing over the rest of it to Hayate. Now is not the time to argue with me."

"Then when is the time to argue with you?" Anko glared back.

"When we are not anticipating possible war. I will not allow harm to come to Naruto or his teammates. But I will not allow you to throw yourself into harm's way in an act of stupidity. Go to the tower and meet with Koharu. I have two meeting to handle but then I will see you there. If I learn that you took anything other than a direct route to the tower then as Ibiki threatened to do, I will have you held until the exam is over, is that clear?"

"You're serious, aren't you? You'd lock me up for going after them? What can you possibly do to protect them if you aren't even going in after Orochimaru yourself? Jiraiya isn't here. Tsunade isn't here. And you won't go after him and now you're saying I can't either! Are you listening to yourself?"

"Go now," the Hokage stated with deadly stillness.

Anko choked on her retort and balled her fists until a nail broke the skin as she glared at him. "Today. Today I'll listen to you. After this…you had better give me a good reason for this," she finally stated before stalking off the field.

* * *

**Agent's Spiel: **Notes up on the blog. 'Juniper – Interlude 6' October '09.

Reviews:

_Mango'd, Iris Arch, Senzetzu, show me the stars, sillymail, Play4ever, someone179, Kage Husha, Sandy11-1990, NekoKriszty, ash j silver, Lachwen, InARealPickle (I'm considering the poll if only for laughs), GreyGryph, TheWatcherandReader, Suki, Randoh, DarkRavie, pharix, myinuyasha04, Rangerfan58, Rakugosha, Hebi R, Novus Ars, Weasel Fu, _


	24. Snakes: Interlude VII

**Agent's Spiel:** I hadn't planned on writing this one. And I debated whether or not I liked it a lot, but in the end I decided to run with it. It's short again, but hopefully it proves interesting.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language and other forms of communication (Amarante Code begins to be used in this chapter). I'll denote which is being used but you'll probably pick it up quickly on your own.

Back slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Snakes: Interlude**

Gaara was really starting to scare her.

Of course he always scared her.

She never really knew just what he was capable of.

Or when he might snap.

Or if she would end up being his target.

She hadn't been his target yet. Her Uncle had been. Her father had been – although he had sadly survived those encounters. But Gaara hadn't ever seriously hurt her or Kankurou. They weren't sure if it was some twisted form of sibling love, but for all of his threats – vocal and physical – he had never actually injured them seriously.

Now she wasn't so sure.

He had almost suffocated Kankurou after the confrontation with the Genin and little brat from Konoha. Something that little had never set him off on either of them before.

And then…in the forest.

They could have finished in barely an hour. An hour and a half tops. But Gaara wouldn't let them.

He kept trying to find…something.

At first she thought it was more scrolls. That maybe he had decided to have a little fun and take out more teams. Let the Tanuki out for fun so that it would behave later on as planned. But they had passed up several teams in the forest.

She had even offered to help him look, but he wouldn't say who he was looking for. Only that 'he' was here.

And Gaara was _smiling_. Not the homicidal grin the Tanuki wore. Actually smiling.

Kankurou had locked himself in a room at the earliest opportunity and refused to come out.

And so Temari had been forced to stay up all night with their younger brother as he smiled.

And now her nerves were fried and she was scared. More so than she had ever been before. And he still wouldn't stop smiling.

Not even when she had jumped away from him that morning as he turned to look at her.

No, he _had_ stopped smiling. Briefly. And the look in his eyes was not one she had seen on his face since he had been a child. Long before he had killed their Uncle.

And now, on top of being tired, on edge, and scared…she felt guilty. Guilty for being the one to put that look back on his face even though it was his fault for scaring the crap out of her when they were in the midst of enemy ninja.

And Kankurou still hadn't come out of the room he had locked himself in.

She couldn't take an entire day of this and she wanted to sleep and she knew he wasn't going to give her the chance.

"The plan…it's going to fail. You should tell father."

Temari blinked in shock. "What did you just say?"

"It's going to fail. That man was wrong about their defenses. It's going to fail."

"We can't talk about this Gaara."

"Yes we can. It's going to fail and if you care for that man you should tell him. I won't fight him."

"You won't fight father?" Temari snorted, vividly remembering the time her nine year old brother had pounded their father through the four walls of their house and out of a third story window. It had been a miracle that the man had survived.

"No. I won't fight _him_. I don't know where he is, but we won't fight him. He would kill us."

"What are saying? Who's here? Is this who you were looking for in the forest? Look if it was just power that sparked your…whatever, that was probably the ninja from Otogakure no Sato. He's very powerful, but you aren't meant to fight him."

"Not him. He's nothing compared to this. You'll know when we find it. But we won't fight it. Send word to father that if he goes through with this, it will fail."

* * *

**Agent's Spiel: **Notes are up on the blog: 'Juniper – Interlude 7' in October '09.

For those of you who I managed to completely confuse last chapter…there's note about that up there too.

Reviews:

_Show me the stars, NekoKriszty, Kage Husha, GeshronTyler, Kattz Sync, So-kun, Fritter, Senzetzu, BiPolarTurkey, DarkRavie, Azamiko, evil genus, Suki1, Jamie-soo90, sku-sun-neighbor, bkwyrm16, Pheonix Eternia, Hakan Jataru Kurohi, Seriyuu, dragondancer711, StoryTagger, myinuyasha04, someone179, ValkyrieX, SoulNinjas, UseYourImagination, Hawkgirl90, Gabo 1602, Shanalir, the-wandering-scribe, SnickyPop, Sarutin Keeper_


	25. Snakes: Interlude VIII

**Agent's Spiel:** I can't tell you how long the first version of this chapter has actually been sitting on my computer. I know it was finished before the last chapter was posted but it just wasn't sitting well with me so I never posted it. I'm mildly happier with this version. It still isn't great and – even though I've twisted most of these characters to the point that they aren't really recognizable as their canon counterparts – these people are still more out of character than I'd like (and way more out of character than most of you will like – sorry). Still, it more or less get across the points that I wanted to.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language and other forms of communication (Amarante Code begins to be used in this chapter). I'll denote which is being used but you'll probably pick it up quickly on your own.

**Front** slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Snakes: Interlude**

Anko nervously made her way through the village streets, her eyes darting frantically around her. If it had still been morning, she would have been on the run from the Hokage's guards, now she was just nervous wreck and expecting Orochimaru or one of his flunkies to jump her.

There were three ANBU teams in the forest now. There would be two more by morning if he wasn't found. All they knew for 'certain' was that a team from Kumogakure had been found dead near the remains of a very large snake. One that probably hadn't been summoned but which definitely showed signs of control.

And her cousin hadn't reached the tower the day before. Or that day. Or if he had the Hokage hadn't told her before sending her out that evening to fetch a hopefully hangover free Kakashi.

So now she was walking down the streets of her own village expecting an attack. If she hadn't felt so worried for her cousin or his team she probably would have talked Kakashi into joining her for a drink before heading to the tower in Area 44.

But she was worried.

And besides that she knew she would get drunk long before Kakashi would and that would be boring. For all she knew he would sneak into her Aunt's house and set in on fire just for the hell of it. _I'm still not sure when he decided to become a pyro. Must be 'cuz of Obito_.

Of course now Obito's little cousin Sasuke was in the middle of an ANBU training area and possibly Orochimaru's real target. And the Hokage didn't know what Orochimaru would do when he learned that Sasuke didn't have the sharingan.

Even though he did.

He just hid it because Anko had convinced him to.

"Shit," she muttered, gaining alarmed glances from the civilians around her. Not that she noticed she was so deep in her thoughts.

She didn't notice Gai or Asuma when they started following her either.

She just kept walking towards Kakashi's apartment.

And then she reached it.

And decided to delay facing him as long as possible. So she knocked softly and politely knowing he wouldn't hear it if he had a hangover so it would give her a few moments to compose herself. Because apparently she had started crying and some point and couldn't remember when.

"Anko?"

_No, no, no. Not him. Not him. Give me Kakashi. Not him._

"Anko."

"Yes?" she asked turning meekly to face Iruka, as she knocked loudly on Kakashi's door.

"Are you-. What happened to them?" Iruka asked, paling. _I knew it was too soon. And with Naruto still weakened-_

"As far as I know nothing has happened yet. There was a breach though. Three Genin were discovered dead this morning outside our walls even though I saw them enter the forest yesterday," she managed to explain without meeting Iruka's eyes. _Screw delays_, she thought as she knocked on Kakakshi's door again.

"Who could have wanted into the exam? Do they think Kumo sent someone else?"

"No," Anko whispered before pounding on Kakashi's door in exasperation. _Where is that jackass?_

Iruka watched as the woman continued avoiding his eyes and frantically attempted to gain attention from inside the apparently empty apartment. "I think if he was home he would have answered by now," he offered.

"Never know with Hatake. He tends to ignore me when he doesn't feel up to my bullshit," Anko answered.

"If nothing had happened you wouldn't be trying to get Kakashi's attention right now. You would be back at the Forest proctoring the exam."

"I told you, there was a breach and the Hokage assured me that nothing had happened but he told me to get Kakashi," Anko stated, fidgeting under Iruka's glare – it was probably the same one he gave to students who tried to get out of class and it made her feel like she was a child again.

"So why don't you believe it? Who the hell is in there that you think is after them? And if that's the case, then why didn't you just go in after them as well?"

Anko winced at the anger in Iruka's voice – it took a lot to get him riled up. But she wasn't one to back down from fight – at least a fight she hadn't been order to avoid – so she turned to face Iruka, matching his glare with her own. "Because I was ordered not to. Because first that jackass Ibiki had to stop me from going in and then the Hokage threatened me and I had to sit in the tower all day being babysat like a teenager by Koharu until Sarutobi decided that I could finally come get Kakashi. Except he isn't here because he's probably getting drunk again or blowing up Sasuke's house and that bastard is in there interrupting _my_ exam and I can't go in after him and Sarutobi won't because he still feels guilty like the idiot he is and now Orochimaru is going to kill one of them and I can't go in and neither can Kakashi-"

Anko was cut off suddenly when she found her back against the wall being held down by a very pissed off Umino Iruka. _Crap_. "Did you just Orochimaru of the Sannin is in the Forest of Death with my students? My rookie students who I told the Hokage –"

His rant didn't get very far either.

"Did you just punch me?" Iruka asked glaring up at Kakashi. Anko remained frozen up against the wall as she looked between the two men. _Double crap_.

_Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap._

"What is going on here?" Asuma asked strolling around the corner as if he hadn't been listening to Anko's entire rant and wondering whether or not his father was insane…or just stupid.

"I'm not sure," Kakashi admitted. "I didn't peg Iruka as so aggressive."

"You're an idiot," Iruka stated, wiping the blood off his lip and standing up. He ignored Kakashi completely and turned to Anko instead.

"Is he pulling the rookies out or not?"

"No. He sent in ANBU but they weren't to interfere in the exam," she admitted.

"Why would ANBU go in?" Kakashi asked in confusion.

"Exactly how much of that argument did you manage to hear before knocking Iruka on his ass?" Asuma asked, not sure if he should be amused or terrified by Kakashi erratic behavior. Just in case it was…well either, he scanned the skyline to make sure there were no noticeable plumes of smoke wafting from the direction of the Uchiha compound.

Kakashi ignored Asuma's question, instead he remained fixated on Anko and Iruka.

"Orochimaru is here," Anko admitted. "Ibiki _and_ the Hokage threatened to lock us up if we went in after him."

Kakashi stared at her for a moment, his face completely unreadable. He tilted his head slightly to glance once, a bit cautiously at Asuma and Gai.

Then he moved.

Gai managed to catch him on the rooftops and drag him back to the front of his apartment building, but not before causing enough of a scene that the civilians below had taken off inside.

"You said you were sent to get Kakashi. What are your orders?" Asuma asked once Gai had Kakashi securely pinned in their presence.

"We're supposed to use the tunnel to go to the Forest tower to wait out the exam. We both have explicit orders not to enter the Forest proper," Anko answered monotonely as she glared at Asuma. He was left with the feeling that all she saw in him was the father who had delivered those orders at some point during the day.

"Then let's do that. I'll go with you of course. No need to get in trouble now," Asuma stated, pulling out a cigarette as he grabbed hold of one of Kakashi's arm. When Kakashi seemed to be considering breaking free, Asuma turned to him and stared at him like he was child. "You and Anko won't be any good to your students if you get locked up until the end of the exam. You also won't be any good to them if you enter the forest, run into Orochimaru, and then get killed. So let's go wait at the tower."

"Remind to beat the crap out of you later," Kakashi muttered.

"Before you leave…Kakashi if I were to head over to the Uchiha compound would I find it still standing?" Iruka asked.

"Is that why you were here?" Asuma chuckled.

"He hasn't been seen all day and he got drunk last night. Last time that happened he burned something."

"Do you see smoke?" Kakashi asked smartly.

"No. But I doubt you need to put up a flag to destroy something."

"Only Sasuke can pull that trigger," Kakashi finally answered before wrenching his arm out of Asuma's grip and pulling Anko up to the roof.

"I'm going with them to make sure they actually do as they were told," Asuma stated, following after them.

"Those two complete idiots," Iruka muttered when he was left alone with Gai. "Why were the two of you here anyways?"

"I was coming by to make sure he was still alive," Gai admitted a bit bashfully. "At first it was very amusing to see him once again one up me by leaving me with his bar tab and I was going to come challenge him to make us even again when Asuma stopped by. He actually looked at the tab. It was…impressive. I made a note to never challenge him to a drinking contest and then decided to make sure he hadn't died of alcohol poisoning."

"I thought the Hokage told the bars around here not to serve him anymore."

"I checked with the bartender. He offered to pay double."

"You still got stuck with the bill, didn't you?"

"It's going to take a week's pay to cover it," Gai muttered before heading off to the Academy to check on his team's status. A few Cloud genin were one thing. Orochimaru was completely different matter. He hoped _his_ genin, and all the others, made it out of there without a confrontation of that level.

* * *

**Agent's Spiel:** Like I said above, the characters in this chapter still annoy me but it's been months since I've updated and I figured that once again, something was better than nothing as long as it moved the story a bit further.

I'm not promising anything really, but I think I'm only going to bother writing two more interludes. I had requests to do one from Chouji's point of view and one from TenTen's and I think both of those would be interesting. After that…well we'll wait and see. I'm trying a few writing exercises because my brain just doesn't want to form coherent pages most of the time and hopefully some of them will pay off…eventually.

Also no notes this time.

Reviews:

_Someone179, the wandering scribe, Ithilas, GreyGryph, show me the stars, Kage Husha, Azamiko, NekoKriszty, thread slinger, crumbs02, The Statue, SoulNinjas, evil genus, Jamie-soo90, Senzetzu, Hawkgirl90, Sarutin Keeper, Nikari87, Kick-Aft, InARealPickle, myinuyasha04, Rangerfan58, Suki1, Eevee uzumaki, GeshronTyler, Water-Soter, lordamnesia, Gabo 1602, MadaMag, Seriyuu, Salamander Hanzo, Rakugosha, Portrait of a Scribe, Katestar98, _

_I know there were a lot more of you but I'm tired. Thank you for all the reviews as always. If I didn't get back to you at all and you had a question just drop a comment on the blog._


	26. Snakes: Interlude IX

**Agent's Spiel: **I considered not posting this one because I don't like it very much. Despite having plenty of 'great' ideas I couldn't figure out how to use TenTen or Neji. But in the end I had the next (and last) interlude ready so I figured I would just put them both up at the same time (really about a 6 hour difference). Because that way it wouldn't matter nearly as much that this one sucks. Oh

Oh! And they are both very short so hopefully getting two of them will make you a little less mad about that.

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language and other forms of communication (Amarante Code begins to be used in this chapter). I'll denote which is being used but you'll probably pick it up quickly on your own.

Front slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic. Of course it generally only applies to Sakura and Kakashi so I'm not necessarily sure telepathy is good thing around those two.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Snakes: Interlude**

TenTen was on edge.

Mostly because Neji was on edge.

And because Lee was most definitely not picking up on it and continually doing stupid things like disappearing on his own and not meeting them on time.

And if Neji didn't stop using his byakugan he was going to run out of chakra and leave them in an even worse position just three days in.

They hadn't run into trouble since the first day. A brief fight with one team from Cloud. Then that team had taken off after apparently realizing that they weren't pushovers.

That night they had found the remains of the other Cloud team. They weren't sure who had done it, but they knew they didn't want to run into whoever it was.

They hid out the first night and since then they hadn't had any trouble…except for the fact that they hadn't run into any other teams yet to get the scroll they needed.

Neji claimed that that was why he had the Byakugan activated, but TenTen knew that if that was true they would have already taken out another team and passed the exam. So Neji was distracted. And on edge.

And Lee still wasn't helping. He claimed his excursions were to find other teams, but seeing as he hadn't had any success TenTen was really starting to doubt his claims. _Or at least abilities, what is with him lately?_

"Can you see him?" she finally asked, jumping up to the branch Neji was sitting on.

"No, he's out of range. But there is a team in range. The two of us can handle them," he answered.

"Are you sure we shouldn't wait? I was the one who spent an hour lecturing Lee about not taking on other targets alone."

"But you aren't alone because you actually stayed here with me. Therefore, it will be the two of us as a _Team_ taking out the target," Neji smirked.

"Lee's not devious enough to pick up on that. He's still going to complain that I'm being 'unyouthful' again," TenTen said, frowning.

"Just as he has complained every day for the past week. Nothing new there. Let's go. I want to get the scroll and get out of the forest."

"Are you sure you don't want to stall a bit. Take out a few more teams. Maybe check in on your cousin?"

"Are you saying that out of concern for my dear cousin or out of concern for your friend?" Neji asked, turning to look at TenTen directly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Last I saw them, Haruno and her teammates were with my cousin's team. It seems they were given an 'extra' exam anyhow."

"Jealous that your cousin gets a body guard? You told your uncle we could handle whatever we came up against. Are you doubting that now?"

"I am merely disappointed that my cousin – after showing the first sign of a back bone I have ever seen out of her – decided that another team should be assigned to help her just in case. It was cowardly, and I don't believe that Team Hatake should have to waste their time with her. I also don't believe it was fair to do that to _her own_ teammates; they are unlikely to appreciate the help."

"Yeah well given that other Rookie team's performance it might not be worth much help. They managed to make Sakura's team seem like an easy target."

* * *

**Agent's Spiel:** I'll post a note up on the blog about this interlude when I post the next and final one in a few hours (hopefully – I'm trying to finish going through all the reviews before I post the next one so I can make sure I got back to everyone). I'll try to be more prompt with reviews this time.


	27. Snakes: Interlude X

**Agent's Spiel: **You wanna know what this interlude means?

It means no more interludes. And yes it's really short too.

I did in fact manage to read _all_ of the reviews I have received since…oh last October or so. I did _not_ manage to respond to too many of them because I simply couldn't remember who I had responded to. If it seemed like you had a question I really should have answered then I got back to you. If not…I didn't (then again that is how I normally handle it anyways).

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Snakes: Interlude**

They had passed.

Chouji was really rather impressed. He was sure that deep down Ino was impressed too. She had definitely seemed to be the night before when she had seen Sakura in action.

And Shikamaru…

Well Shikamaru was just confused. Not that anyone could tell by the way his behavior hadn't changed – except that he kept staring at the kunai Naruto had been using right before they entered the tower. But Chouji could tell. Shikamaru did not like underestimating people. But he had obviously underestimated Naruto.

And possibly Sasuke.

And Sakura – though Shikamaru didn't think he was wrong about her, Chouji knew he normally was when it came to women.

But Naruto was bothering him the most. What Sakura had said about her teammates…even Chouji had wondered if his guess was wrong. Sure he knew as well as Shikamaru that Naruto had never been a bad ninja – just a bad…very bad student – but he never would have presumed that Naruto and _Sasuke_ could be considered equals. At least not right out of the Academy.

And yet…even without seeing Naruto fight. And seeing a lot of him incapable of fighting…prone and defenseless if not for his teammates. But that only seemed to make it more concrete. Because the Sasuke and Sakura from the Academy might not have even bothered to help their teammate. But they had helped Naruto. They hadn't even slept the entire final night as he refused to wake up. And to Chouji, that said even more about all three of them than seeing Sakura fight had spoken to Ino. Naruto, even unconscious, wasn't dead weight to them. He was worth a little extra work on their part.

And that had Shikamaru baffled.

Chouji was just impressed.

* * *

**Agent's Spiel:** The notes are on the blog (more of a rant really). Check archives for March of 2010. If you don't want to read me complaining then skip it and zip it.

Also about update speed…I know I don't update regularly, I've tried that and it just burned me out. Before a few weeks (or even months) of silence start making you think I've forgotten this…I've actually gone a year without posting and I still came back. If I ever 'quit' writing this and it honestly won't be finished, I'll just remove it from the site so you know it won't be back (this isn't likely to happen I'm just letting you know).

Like I said last time I've been absolutely horrible at reading and responding to reviews. I'll try to do better, it's just laziness so it shouldn't be to hard to at least read them.

_someone179, the-wandering-scribe, Ithilas, GreyGryph, ., Kage Husha, Azamiko, NekoKriszty, thread slinger, crumbs02, The Statue, SoulNinjas, evil genus, Jamie-soo90, Senzetzu, Hawkgirl90, Sarutin Keeper, Nikari87, Kick-Aft, InARealPickle, myinuyasha04, Rangerfan58, Suki1, Eevee uzumaki, GeshronTyler, Water-Soter, lordamnesia, Gabo 1602, MadaMag, Seriyuu, Katestar98, Portrait of a Scribe, ennui deMorte, Silence after War, Bahizret, Neccor, BakaLuffy, Pance, KitsuneOverlord, Hell Changer, rappelezfille, Juopunumies, undeadyeti, Colette G, iscreamdrizzle, Phoenix1023, Djinn Crimsora, Thoughts 13, La'ienth, Salamander Hanzo, HolyKnight5, DarkRavie, KungFuTruffle, Marz1, Shinen no Hikari, io, theo darkstar, Queensarrow, CrimsonAxe, Mistress DragonFlame, alec-potter, SnickPop, stupid thing, Wayward Fool, Whispers in your head, Bubbley-chan, The Mertonome Maven, DerKriegesGeist, PuppetonStrings, icedragon54, Shinichi06, lunachiarolover, Zaxara, Validan, aining04, Daiymo no Tashio, KonIsMyName, Lal Mirch, fallacies, CrimsonNova, Darkling, Khellan Rafe, Overlord of Kitsune_

Thanks again to all of you, I'm glad people are enjoying this fanfic.

Big big thanks to beloved _daughter of the king_. I've been reading your review in chunks and hope that I eventually get to the point where I can write back to you about it – though you're way more accurate than you probably realize about forgetting to write a scene that's fully formed in my head…

Just a reminder, the blog is there too. I'm only mentioning this because some reviewers (and I don't just mean one off flamers) don't leave me a way to respond to them even if they seem to need a response. If you don't want to leave an email address, consider leaving a comment on the blog for that chapter and I'll just respond to you there in the comments as well.


	28. Totally Not an Interlude

**Agent's Spiel: **Before people yell at me: this is clearly labeled 'Totally Not an Interlude' therefore I did not break my word. The last interlude was in fact the last _interlude_ because this is clearly marked not an interlude…that said I've been going back and forth over my options for the past couple of weeks. I've decided that the Forest of Death does not want to be written so I'm going to skip ahead to either the preliminary rounds or the aftermath of those (I haven't decided that either). Anyways, this note is long enough so just go read the blog post **"Juniper – Not an Interlude"** for more information and to voice your opinions on which I should do.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

* * *

**Totally Not an Interlude**

This was all the Hokage's fault.

All of them, not just the Third.

Especially the Fourth's. He had really started all of Kakashi's problems when he had insisted that Kakashi needed teammates. 'Friends' he claimed would be good for Kakashi. He was actually kind of glad that he hadn't given in to that suggestion – it would have hurt more when Obito died if he had already considered him a friend, it hurt enough when he realized after the fact that they had been. Then the bastard had had to get himself and Anmitsu killed in one night. Rin had probably been the only reason he hadn't lost it.

Though it was the Third's fault too. He had forbidden the bars from serving him any alcohol. Really, Kakashi wasn't a child. He could handle a bit of alcohol. So instead he had found a little shop on the way back from a mission and stocked up a few weeks ago in case he needed to black out for a night or two. Like he had the previous night.

Jiraiya – he was the _both_ the Fourth and Third's fault. Even now, no one really seemed to know where he was, just that he had taken off after Orochimaru shortly after Minato and Anmitsu had asked him to become their child's godfather. Kakashi didn't know if it was easier or harder that he had never even learned whether or not the kid had been born before it died.

Though Anmitsu wasn't a Hokage…he could still blame her along with his sensei. At the very least for Ibiki and Anko. Not that Ibiki had ever paid any attention to Kakashi. Even after joining ANBU, his sensei's teammate had ignored him completely. So he wasn't really surprised when the man continued doing so after his sensei had died.

Anko _had_ been a surprise. After all of Anmitsu's attempts, Kakashi had just barely been able to deal with hyperactive girl. It had been easier when she had started training with Orochimaru – and no, he hadn't been even remotely jealous about that, after all his own sensei was the Yellow Flash. He just hadn't expected her to avoid them so actively, especially now that they were both in ANBU. Though she had been the one to tell him about Rin. And he was pretty sure that she was in trouble for that just like he was…he should really let her in on his fun for that. It would be nice not to take all the blame.

"Best idea I've had tonight," Kakashi muttered as he finished rigging everything. He really didn't want more of reason for the Third to give him _that_ look.

It had been humiliating. Breaking down enough to beg for someone else to be sent. Anko's reconnaissance had been clear: anyone going in wasn't likely to come back out. And to send a _medic_. Just a _medic_. The Hokage had given him a chance, but he had to convince Rin to turn down the mission. And she had given him _that_ look too. As if she wasn't walking out of the village never to return. He _wasn't_ pitiable. She _was_. She could have stayed with him. Made things easier for all of them. But she had just walked out.

He didn't need that again. So he had used up half his stash and blacked out for a few days before coming to a conclusion: he hated his father's house.

Really hated it.

It needed to go. And because he was such a kind person, he would share the fun with someone else. "Where would she be?"

It was a hard question to answer. He didn't even know where Anko was living, just that it wasn't in Minato's old apartment – that had been empty last he had checked. Not in Anmitsu's house either – it had been too overgrown to be lived in when he saw it a year or so ago.

"Kakashi."

He never saw her around either, except that one night the month before when she had jumped him in the hallway to warn him about Rin's mission. A few hissed words before she had taken off again as if it hadn't been the first time they had seen each other in five years.

"Kakashi."

He didn't know her friends either – if she had any.

"Are you drunk again? How'd you manage that?"

Was she this annoying when they were kid- wait a minute. "Did you say something?"

"I asked if you were drunk again. The Hokage sent me to check up on you. Don't ask why he sent me I think he's still angry with me for something but I can't figure out what…I mean you didn't tell him, did you? I really wasn't supposed to share that info with anyone but this was_ Rin,_ she was like your best friend-"

"Shut up Anko," Kakashi muttered standing up to get a better look at the other girl. "Where are you staying now? Are you on your own?"

"Eh?"

"I just realized I have no idea where you're staying."

"In the dorms. What are you doing outside so late anyways? And how'd you get drunk? I thought old man Sarutobi forbid the bars from selling to you."

"Only the ones in Konoha. Throw this for me would you?" he asked, handing her a small bottle with an odd label on the side.

Anko took the bottle hesitantly and studied the label for a few minutes before she realized what he had asked. "Throw it? Where?"

"Into the window. My wages are wasting away I figure if I break a couple of windows I'll have an excuse to spend some of it."

"Wow, you really are drunk. You're even weirder than normal. If you want to spend money I have something you could do with it. There's this kid they have staying in Minato's old place. Buy him some scrolls or something, I hear he wants to be a ninja. Replacing windows is less important."

"They're selling the place?" He whispered in confusion.

"No, just using it for a while. I don't really know who Minato-sensei left it to. I don't think it was me, maybe Jiraiya. It's a young kid and his nanny, she's a jerk but the kid looks cute. Can't wait to see what a hellion he becomes, seemed really shy when I saw him."

"Whatever, throw the bottle in the bottom, corner right window and I'll buy the kid a house warming present, maybe a plant or something. But you have to get it in the house."

"A plant? He's five Kakashi, he doesn't want a plant. Give him a stuffed toy or something."

"Only if you get it in the house."

"Fine, the corner window right?" Anko asked chucking the bottle down towards the house. A moment later, a loud crash sounded.

"I said, bottom right."

"I hit the right window."

"No the other right, not our right, our left, the house's right. The kid's not getting a toy, just a plant."

"You jerk!" Anko shouted loudly.

"It's two in the morning, keep your voice down."

"Oh please, I just broke one of your windows, that would've woken up your neighbors before the shouting did."

"Yeah about that, you might want to leave," Kakashi chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't tell the Hokage you were here. I'm drunk they'll just blame this one me."

"What?"

Kakashi tried as hard as he could to stifle his laughter but the smoke building up inside the first floor was cheering him up immensely. "Oh and can you take this stuff with you. I'll find you at the dorm in a week or so and get it back."

"What are you doing Kakashi?"

"Me? I'm not doing anything illegal. You on the other hand. You just set a house on fire. The Uchiha don't look kindly on arsonists, so you should get out of here."

"I…what?" Anko replied in confusion as she turned back to the house. Smoke was slowly coiling out of the broken window and flames were just starting to show throughout the first floor. She vaguely wondered how long it would take before it moved to the second floor.

"Are you gonna go get someone to put it out? Hell, don't you know any water jutsu?"

"Water jutsu won't put it out. I made sure of that. Just take my stuff for now. I'll see you in a few days to get it back."

"Kakashi-"

"Go, my neighbors have smelled the smoke."

Anko took a deep calming breath before realizing that he was right, she could hear his neighbors moving about in the house below. Oops. "Gotta go. Make sure to get the kid something by the time you come see me otherwise you aren't getting this stuff back!"

* * *

**Agent's Spiel: **Please go read the blog post **"Juniper – Not an Interlude" **in April of 2010's archives for more information and review responses.


	29. Snakes II

**Agent's Spiel:** For those wondering about the last 'Non-Interlude' I left it kind of vague just to confuse you guys (my version of an April Fool's joke). I explained on the blog that I wrote it after a reviewer asked about Kakashi burning down his father's house. It's set 7-8 years before the current story.

This is only about ten pages long right now and I wasn't intending to post it in sections but _some_ people didn't like my April Fool's joke so I figured I would show you that I really am working on the Forest of Death. To those who at least went along with the joke and giggled at Kakashi, thank you.

Oh! Will someone please tell me why everyone decided last chapter was _the_ chapter to defend Kushina in? I'm just going to put this here and up on the blog, but this fic was started before Kishimoto named Naruto's mother in canon and I came up with a different character for the role. By the time Kishimoto came out with Kushina, the non-canon character I was using was already being introduced slowly as Anko's aunt and Jiraiya's student and I wasn't (and I'm not) going to change it. **(I think I managed to write back to all of you explaining this, but if I missed you, sorry)**

Naruto will be using alternate means of communication:

Single quotation marks '' will be used to represent sign language and other forms of communication (Amarante Code begins to be used in this chapter). I'll denote which is being used but you'll probably pick it up quickly on your own.

Front slashes / will denote Naruto writing what he is saying.

_Italics_ mean you are reading the characters thoughts; congratulations on becoming telepathic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Snakes**

_XX Day 1: 30 minutes in Forest XX_

"Naruto."

Naruto turned slowly to look at his teammates as Sakura finally spoke up loud enough to catch his attention. He waited patiently for her to continue as Sasuke stood next to her, glaring harshly in his direction.

"I don't care what I said in the tower about this being a mission. You're still not well. It sounds like it's getting worse. And this could be very dangerous if the Cloud ninja target you. We're in it now; there's no turning back. We can either go through with the mission, or go straight to the tower at the center and surrender. I have no problem doing the latter, but I'm not doing the former until you tell us exactly why you don't want to meet with the medics. I've waited patiently hoping you would tell us on your own, but you haven't, so now I'm asking. Trust us," Sakura stated firmly.

Naruto tilted his head for a moment before shrugging. 'They can't help me. They've told me that. Only one healer can and she isn't here,' he told them.

"Help you with what? Is this about the poison?" Sasuke asked.

'It won't go away. It keeps spreading. I either deal with it or quit and I'm not quitting. I won't put you in danger. I know I can do this. Kakashi trained me to,' Naruto signed.

"That's what you worked on?" Sakura asked in disbelief.

'I can't avoid Tails. I can use it. On my terms and only my terms.'

"Do you really mean that?"

"He's not lying to us," Sasuke stated, turning from Naruto to Sakura.

"You like this less than I do," Sakura pointed out.

"Yes, and I trust him as well. If he says they can't help him, then they can't."

"But do you trust Kyuubi?" Sakura asked. "Because I don't."

'I don't,' Naruto admitted. 'But I don't need to. I know what I can do. Coughing up blood won't stop me. It's just annoying.'

"And Cloud?"

'We'll deal with them as a team. I promised Orange I wouldn't do anything stupid. I'll stay with you. We'll handle the mission and get through it together,' Naruto promised.

"If we say that we need to abort after helping Team 8, will you do that? Will you fail the exam if it means completing the mission?" Sakura asked.

'Yes. If you say we should then I will.'

His confidence in her gave Sakura pause. "And if Team 8 refuses our help? This is Kiba we're talking about; Hinata might want our help; Shino might accept it; but what about Kiba?"

"If Inuzuka doesn't realize how much trouble his teammate could be in then he was lied to about the exam," Sasuke stated.

Naruto nodded and quickly signed, 'Shout might not like help. But he likes Stutter, he'll let us help her.'

"Shout and Stutter?" Sasuke repeated with a snort.

'And Bug,' Naruto signed grinning.

Finally, Sakura nodded. "Let's do this then. As quickly as possible. If you're still doing fine when Team 8 is done, then we'll continue and try to pass on our own. If you aren't…we're aborting and entering the tower with them. We can wait for our promotions until after we help find this medic," she decided gaining nods of agreement from both of her teammates. "Let's start by finding them."

"You aren't using Houkou?" Sasuke asked, moving up towards Naruto.

"Let's face it: he's not a nin dog. He can help, but not in here. I told Kakashi-sensei to take him back to my house. Besides Naruto's a better tracker than Houkou is. We'll go with that for now," Sakura answered. "So where are they?" she added catching up.

Naruto pointed to his right. 'They started here. Moved inwards, we can catch them soon,' he promised, moving into the trees.

Sakura and Sasuke quickly followed without further questions. Naruto figured neither of them was pleased with the answers he had given, but he knew they would wait to ask more until they were on safe ground. He just hoped he had the answers they wanted by then, because he and Kakashi hadn't been able to come up with many of them on their own.

_Idiot._

_You keep saying that. Just keep me breathing. Kakashi will come up with something,_ Naruto thought derisively as the fox made itself known.

_He's the dog's whelp._

_But his sensei stuck you with me. He'll help,_ Naruto insisted. He didn't have to like Kakashi to trust him.

_And the one I warned you about?_

_We'll avoid him for now._

_Coward._

Naruto grinned a bit at that but he wasn't dumb. Gorou had been bad enough. Gaara…Naruto wanted to be at his best if he went up against him. Kyuubi had finally told him what Gaara's weird chakra meant and Naruto didn't want to start something he couldn't finish without the fox's direct help. He just wanted to prove that he could keep doing missions. Keep being a ninja. Even without that woman's help.

Naruto raised his hand suddenly as he came up short, scanning the area in front of them. He could see two other ninja on the forest floor, both unconscious and covered with leeches. "Eww, this is obviously Shino's work," Sakura commented.

"If they acted this quickly…Shino knows something is wrong. We might not need to do much. How long since they left here?"

Naruto grinned and shook his head, pointing off to his right and then waving cheekily. "They didn't get the right scroll then," Sakura muttered as she jumped one tree in front of her teammates. "We don't have a scroll you can take. We aren't taking the exam, we're just here to help," she stated, as Shino appeared in front of her.

"Who asked you to help?" Kiba asked, from a branch above.

"The Hokage and the Council. I don't know who asked them. It might have been your sensei. It might have been her father. They might have even acted on their own," she explained.

"Why were you chosen?" Hinata called up from the ground. Sasuke switched on his Sharingan when he noticed her Byakugan was activated.

"It's our mission. We can't take the normal exam, so we're only here for this. We'll help you pass if you want. But if all you want is for us to run interference with Cloud, we'll do that too," Sakura told her.

"It's fine," Shino spoke up, shifting nervously as he glanced down at Hinata. "The less time we spend out here, the better. Do what you need to."

"Oh come on! We can handle this on our own. Kurenai-sensei said so!"

"We don't know what they're capable of," Shino countered. "If Team 7 can help us, let them help us."

"What about Neji-san? Does he get help too?" Hinata asked nervously.

Naruto snorted in amusement at the thought of Neji accepting help.

"He doesn't need it. He and his team, we've seen what they can do," Sakura assured her, ignoring Lee's dismal behavior during their only meetings. "Gai-sensei, he's weird but I've heard my dad's stories about him. He wouldn't send his team in just to prove a point. He sent them because they're ready. Us, we're rookies. We're here to prove a point and it's a risky one that we might not be ready for. But all six of us, we can manage together. And if we do that, it'll prove it just as well as if we had competed on our own."

"I said we'll take their help. We're taking it," Shino stated before Kiba could speak up again.

"Then let's get the second scroll you need and get you to the tower," Sasuke said, "And let's get out of here. You've already taken one team down, you won't catch another one in this area."

"What would you know?" Kiba asked.

"Use your nose, there isn't anyone around. We're better off if we keep moving. It keeps Cloud guessing and makes it easier to find another team. Between us, we can do that regardless of how well they're hiding."

"Not if you don't even have the Sharingan," Kiba scoffed.

"I don't need it to be a good ninja," Sasuke stated, flinching when Naruto sent a spark of chakra through the insignia of their new gloves. He didn't remember the old bracelets being so sharp, but that was probably because they had had to use so much chakra to get a response with the old ones.

"Let's go. If you want to pick a direction, do so, otherwise follow us."

"We'll head towards the tower," Shino stated, waiting just long enough for Hinata to join them in the canopy before setting a pace his team could handle. Within minutes he could already tell that it wasn't fast enough for the other team but he wanted his in good condition as well and figured Sakura or Sasuke would complain if they really needed to hurry up. _If Naruto was up to it, he could keep Kiba distracted from complaining as well but after the way he behaved during the first exam…it isn't going to happen. _The forest wasn't making Shino feel very comfortable either. A place with so much life in it should never have felt so quiet.

"We have a team closing in to the left," Hinata whispered as the others closed in ranks around her. She frowned at the obvious action but squared her shoulders and continued moving as swiftly as she could.

'Anemone'

"Up! Move up!" Sakura shouted when Naruto used the new code. That had been the first word that Kakashi had insisted they learn. If the woman had been sent then he had figured it likely that her students would share her tactics – ones Naruto had learned all too well.

They shot up through the branches until they were balancing precariously _above_ the treetops. "What was that for?" Hinata asked in confusion as she struggled to maintain her position – it didn't matter how good one's chakra control was if the branches they were on weren't meant to hold a human's weight. The only reason Akamaru was even managing was that Kiba was already holding him.

"Poison. These guys use poison," Sasuke explained. "We need to move as carefully as possible. Not all villages are as good in the trees as us. They might not be able to follow and attack as easily."

"I take it we're not bothering to finish the exam," Kiba muttered.

"Would you rather pass or lose a teammate?" Sasuke asked.

Kiba was caught of guard by the comment. _How did he even hear me?_ "Live of course," he finally answered as they took off again.

They were much slower on the tops of the trees. The branches swayed unsteadily and cracked as they took off again, but Kiba could no longer smell their pursuers. He saw Sasuke fiddling with his necklace and Sakura finally held up a hand indicating that they could pause. _What the hell have they been learning?_

"They've either fallen behind or they're hiding. Shino can your kikai scout below us?" Sakura asked.

"I don't see them anywhere," Hinata offered as Shino let a few kikai trail out of his sleeves and into the canopy below. "But there is a team about forty meters west of here. If we've lost our followers, then we should try and take them."

"If we've lost them," Sakura agreed sending Hinata a sympathetic look. _If I felt like dead weight when we started…she must feel like crap_.

"I don't- Kiba!"

Shino's shout was just a moment too late as Kiba suddenly lost his footing. He barely had time to throw Akamaru to Hinata before he plummeted through the branches.

Naruto, who had been closest to Kiba, dove after him controlling his drop as much as he could. Thirty feet below he managed to grab Kiba's coat as he came up short and hard on a branch thick enough to hold their weight. "Holy crap man. We are not meant to do stuff like that," Kiba muttered as he glanced at Naruto thankfully. Naruto barely had time to catch his own breath before it was stolen from him again.

"No. That's what makes you monkeys so easy to catch."

The sudden smells caused Kiba to retch as he looked over towards the muted voice. A girl, a few years older than them was suddenly behind Naruto holding a rag over his mouth.

"Your bloodlines are all so interesting. But they don't help much when we can go intangible," the girl grinned as her teammates materialized on a branch across from them, all three were wearing gas masks.

Naruto managed to send one code word, 'Anemone' as his vision started going spotty. Switching gears as quickly as possible, he snaked his arms behind him and onto the girl's arms. He pulled as hard as he could, bending sharply at the waist and knees as he hoisted her hand away from his mouth and threw her as far as he could manage before sinking the rest of the way to his knees.

Sasuke caught him before he could fall off the branch but Naruto was still struggling to breathe.

"What's this? A Hyuuga too?" the girl asked, already recovered from Naruto's throw.

"As if you weren't after her in the first place," Kiba growled, ignoring the stench of poison still lingering in the air. _How is he still conscious?_

"Why would we go after her? Bloodlines aren't interesting anymore. He _is_. How'd you do it Uzumaki? Kimiko-sensei's furious that you lived."

'Tansy'

Receiving Sakura's orders, Sasuke hoisted Naruto to his feet before pushing him into Hinata's arms. "Keep him as far away as possible," he hissed. "He'll recover quickly but do not let them near him again!"

Without a second glance, he pushed more chakra at his eyes and feet and moved straight towards the girl who had been talking.

Sakura was already moving towards one of the others, Shino right behind her. Kiba was moving backwards towards Naruto and Hinata.

One on one the Cloud team seemed far less capable and Sasuke was beginning to wonder how they had managed to sneak up on them in the first place.

**X**

Naruto couldn't see anymore. He couldn't hear very well either. _Sasuke handed me to someone else so he could fight_. _Who?_

_Stutter._

The fox was snickering and answering: that was a good sign; he wasn't in danger. _Let me take care of them. When I'm done, you'll be back to normal._

_Not in front of the other team. Not while Gaara is still here. They'll know._

_You can stop me at any time. I don't need to fight the Tanuki yet. I can wait. We'll get the chance again._

_What's going on? Are they hurt?_

_I know no more than you. Idiot._

Joking again. His teammates were handling themselves then. Someone else had managed to get close while he had been talking to Kyuubi but the kitsune hadn't said a word so he knew it had to be one of the others. Probably Kiba. Definitely Kiba, his hearing was returning and he could hear the other boy whispering. _You don't need to come out yet,_ he finally told Kyuubi as his breathing became less labored.

He could hear the sounds of fighting. Heavy breathing. Weapons clashing.

"He's…he's getting better Hinata. I can barely smell the poison anymore."

_He can barely smell it? Maybe I can see now._ Slowly he opened his eyes and blinked at the hazy world in front of him.

"Crap he's actually coming out of it. How the hell did you do that Naruto? That could have killed you," Kiba whistled.

_He's not worried either. The fights are going well._

Naruto held up a hand and tried to take his weight off of Hinata's shoulders. He was saved from plummeting to the ground when Kiba grabbed his arms and forced him back onto his knees. "Take it easy. They've already got the team on the run. As soon as you recover, we'll head off again," he offered bending down and waving his hand in front of Naruto's eyes.

Naruto's vision had returned enough that he caught the obnoxious gesture and reached up to grab Kiba's hand, wrenching it away from his face in warning. "Ow, that hurt man!" Kiba shouted, wincing when Sasuke suddenly appeared in behind Naruto, glaring down at both of them.

'You win?' Naruto signed, turning to face Sasuke.

"Of course, don't hurt Kiba anymore. We'll need him."

'Pinky?'

"She's doing fine. The girl I was fighting ordered a retreat after I stabbed her in the arm. Sakura's opponent is trying to stay and fight but…no she just took off with Shino's opponent. As soon you can move again we need to get out of here."

Naruto nodded and paused suddenly when he caught the smell of blood. He squinted as he tried to clear his vision but Sasuke's form was still too fuzzy for him to tell if he was injured. 'Were you hurt?' he finally signed ignoring Kiba's muffled curse as he figured out that Naruto wasn't just waving his hands around or using some random code.

"Just a cut to the forehead. It's not even bleeding anymore but that girl tried to take my eye out."

"She must have realized you're an Uchiha," Hinata spoke up.

Sasuke stilled when he realized that Hinata was glaring at him. "You have the sharingan. I can see the chakra you're channeling to your eyes and it can't mean anything else. Why are you hiding it? Why lie to us if you're supposed to be helping us?"

"Because they lied to us from the beginning. You weren't even sent here to help us, were you?" Shino accused as he and Sakura finally joined the group.

"Yeah that's right! That chick said they were after Naruto!" Kiba added.

"She was lying," Sasuke stated. "The Hokage and Council told us to come in here and help you."

"Here, look at this for proof," Sakura offered, pulling out the blank scroll that Anko had given them.

"There's… nothing on it," Kiba replied, rolling his lip up in confusion.

"Exactly, we weren't given either the Heaven or Earth scrolls because we aren't really competing. We're just here to help you," Sakura said earnestly.

"Not according to that chick. She said she wasn't interested in the Hyuuga," Kiba said.

'Lied,' Naruto signed quickly, catching Sasuke's arm so someone could interpret for him. 'Their sensei thought I was dead. She didn't know before they got here.'

"They couldn't have been given orders to go after him by anyone but their sensei. The Hokage was aware of a threat before that. That points to you," Sasuke explained.

"And why couldn't they have been given orders before that?" Shino asked.

"Because Hidden Cloud thinks Naruto is dead. They couldn't have known otherwise before…before that team's sensei saw us before the first exam," Sakura said, ignoring the growing pit in her stomach. _That man was from Hidden Cloud…did he tell them?_

"You expect us to believe that?" Kiba sneered.

Naruto sighed and turned away in frustration. Without one of his teammates interpreting, he couldn't even defend himself. And he didn't like the area they were in. It wasn't safe to stay there.

"I didn't even tell _you_ that Naruto was our teammate just a week ago," Sakura pointed out. "We didn't tell anyone about it."

"But Cloud is still after him too."

Naruto grasped the charms on his necklace sending a quick code, 'Mandrake'.

"It's petty and we don't have time for this right now. The team Hinata spotted earlier is gone but there are two others close enough that you can take them out," Sasuke cut in, getting Naruto's message.

"We aren't going anywhere unless you tell us what's going on," Hinata stated firmly.

Naruto squared his shoulders in an attempt to ease his discomfort and stay on guard. He created several clones, sending them out to look around. He had never felt something like it before. It wasn't the same as Gaara or Gorou. If it was a demon Kyuubi would have been yelling already, but the fox was clearly content and hadn't said a word since Naruto had recovered from the poison. This…he didn't know what this was. The forest was too quiet except for the occasional rustling of the undergrowth below. And that was the problem. He couldn't smell anything other than snakes. It didn't make sense for there to be so many that it would drown out…his eyes widened suddenly and he sent a shock of chakra into the bracelet, completely the missing the pained shouts that both Sasuke and Sakura let out upon reception.

"What was that for?" Sakura hissed angrily before seeing the look on her teammate's face. "Naruto?"

Naruto looked over at his team, the white's of his eyes showing a bit too clearly for the look to be anything other than fear. He raised his hands several times as the dread continued to grow in his stomach. _They don't know him_ he thought in a panic. 'Orange's teacher. He's here,' he finally signed.

"What did he just say?" Shino asked.

"Orange…Anko's sensei?" Sakura repeated in confusion.

"But he's a missing nin," Sasuke said.

When Naruto only nodded, the other two shared a look of comprehension. "What's he here for?" Sasuke muttered under his breath.

"We go now," Sakura ordered. "No arguing Kiba, we go straight to the tower."

"Who-"

"No, Shino we move. This isn't Cloud. We leave," Sakura ordered.

Kiba did a double take at the edge in her voice and Akamaru actually barked in agreement with the girl. "Then let's go. Let Hinata set the pace, she's the slowest," he offered, ignoring how bad it felt to actually insult his teammate.

Hinata hesitated at his comment but a quick glare from all three members of Team 7 and Hinata took off in the clearest direction that would still lead them towards the center tower. The others matched her pace, but Naruto could still smell the snakes. _Not fast-_

"Look out!" Sasuke shouted a moment too late as his sharingan picked up the chakra being dumped into a large jutsu. The wind jutsu hit them a moment later scattering the six genin.

* * *

**Agent's Spiel:** Notes are up on the blog. For future reference check April 2010's archives for "Juniper: Snakes II".

Translations for Amarante code:

'Anemone' – poison

'Tansy' – take them out

'Mandrake' – possible danger, on guard


End file.
